COP 31: Parliament, Stakeholders Partner SOStainability on SDG 7 Project  

SOStainabilityWeekly

Edited by Oke Epia, E-mail: sostainability01@gmail.com  | WhatsApp: +234 8034000706

Spotlight

Ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP) billed to be held in Turkey next month, stakeholders have commended and endorsed SOStainability’s sustained focus on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 in Nigeria.

The UK-based sustainability firm recently announced the RENEW Nigeria project as a suite of intersectional intelligence and knowledge products on governance and service delivery in Nigeria’s clean energy landscape.

The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has signed up as a parliamentary partner, saying the project’s objectives are in “direct alignment with Nigeria’s energy transition agenda and our national climate commitments.”

In a letter of endorsement signed by the chairman, Hon. Victor Ogene, the committee expressed confidence that the project’s outputs and outcomes will “significantly contribute to policy development, sector accountability and the achievement of SDG 7 in Nigeria,” adding that it recognises “the role of strategic partnerships in improving service delivery, strengthening legislative oversight, and accelerating access to sustainable energy across Nigeria.”

The project scope covers research, documentation, and various stakeholder engagement programmes beginning at COP 31. Over the coming weeks, the project aims to spotlight authentic SDG7 success stories, identify gaps, and promote opportunities in energy access, affordability, and efficiency in Nigeria.

Oke Epia, CEO of SOStainability, said RENEW Nigeria is designed as a “response to the demand for tangible, measurable, and verifiable value from climate finance flows into Nigeria. The project targets public entities, companies, and civil society across Nigeria’s energy ecosystem, especially in renewable energy and clean cooking.”

According to him, the project will be implemented through distinct but intersecting products and activities, including publication of the Nigeria Renewable Energy Industry Annual Status Report and associated digital dashboard billed to be launched in London next year, the SDG7 Success Story Series published in ThisDay newspaper, and the RENEW Nigeria Events and Awards to be convened on the sidelines of the COP 31, IRENA Assembly held at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit in January 2027; and the upcoming Lagos Climate Action Week.

“We will soon be announcing our series of engagements at COP 31, including country-level and industry-focused bilaterals that have been designed to elevate investment and partnership conversations around renewables and clean cooking in Nigeria,” the CEO stated.

SOStainability is already engaging with partners and potential collaborators, including United Nations entities, US-based Local Power/Community Choice Aggregation, which is authorised to serve half of the US energy market and reaches over 50 million Americans; and GLOBE Legislators, Focal Point of the UNFCCC Parliamentary Group.

“The RENEW Nigeria SDG7 project offers long-term, end-to-end, and distinctly beneficial engagement that elevates thought leadership, market access and expansion, global visibility and partnership opportunities, and credible and bankable industry recognition,” Epia stated.

As part of the build-up to the industry status report, SOStainability serialised a light-touch assessment of the state of electricity across Nigeria’s 36 states, highlighting power access, affordability, and clean energy. The series focused on the 2023 decentralisation of electricity and removal of petrol subsidy, raising pertinent conversations on how the use of public resources can help solve Nigeria’s power problems and unlock productivity for industries, small and medium-scale businesses, households, and individuals who require regular, affordable, and cleaner supply of electricity to power production. The series used key metrics including legal framework, regulatory readiness, and evidence of project pipelines to measure performance in the power sector.

SOStainability is a global enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainability and responsible climate action across businesses, communities, governments, and non-governmental entities. Based in the United Kingdom, the firm offers sustainability consulting in line with the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. Significantly, SOStainability creates credible bridges between African institutions and global climate investment ecosystems by leveraging its extensive experience working with African institutions, communities, businesses, and government in climate governance, especially on policy, communications, and stakeholder engagement. SOStainability is the co-convener of the Nigeria Climate Investment Summit (NCIS) held in London and produces this page every week for THISDAY Newspaper to create awareness, engage stakeholders, and publicise the sustainability initiatives of public and private entities.