Stakeholders in the environment sector have called for collective efforts towards mitigating the effects of climate change.
They made this call during the National Consultations on Pre-Conference of Parties(COP 25) workshop organised by Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) in Abuja on Wednesday.
President, Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria, Dr Uzodinma Adirieje, said humans were the most affected by climate change.
Adirieje, said it was important for everyone to collectively protect the environment and mitigate the impact of climate change.
He said more than half of the SDGs were linked to climate change which showed how important it was to tackle the issue.
“We are at a big cross road in human development. Everything nature has bestowed on us is at war with human beings.
“From the technologies we apply to the pollution we are all inhaling, to the refuse scattered around both degradable and bio- degradable, to the generators we use and vehicles that carry us around.
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“We are tampering with our environmental equilibrium especially our climate.”
He said Nigeria must embrace renewable energy, green economy, green environment and green energy which would help reduce the impact of climate change, .
“We must do our best to protect and preserve our environment,” he said.
Mr Ochuko Odibo, from the REDD+ secretariat urged participants and Nigerians to come up with nature based solutions, build resilience and adaptation measures.
According to him, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a nature based solution designed by a student where the use trees to engage and teach people has been a successful programme under the UN.
“I want to challenge us to start thinking, you can do REDD+ in any state as long as there are tes irrespective of if those trees are depleting.
“You can be the next person to come up with a solution to address the issue of climate change; I want to challenge us as Nigerians to start thinking of how we can solve this problem that will be adopted internationally.”
