•Orders preparation of Osun State Action Plan Against Plastic Pollution within three months

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Monday announced the creation of Climate and Renewable Energy Advisory Council as well as the establishment of a Carbon Tracking Research unit at the Osun State University.

While delivering his speech at the World Environment Day program of the Osun State ministry of environment and sanitation in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, Governor Adeleke also directed the state Ministry of Environment to prepare an Osun State Action Plan Against Plastic Pollution within three months.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, the Governor noted that to address the plastic pollution and the climate change question, sub-national entities cannot leave the issue to the national governments alone. State governments worldwide must rise up and create plans of action.

He said "As a state, we support the March 2022 resolution endorsed by 175 countries at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) to start negotiations on an international legally binding agreement to eliminate plastic waste and pollution in the environment. The resolution highlights the importance of sustainable production and consumption of plastics, including resource efficient and circular economy approaches.

“We are therefore challenged to devise holistic programme to counter this threat. We recommend a combination of waste prevention, alternative materials, waste management, and improved transparency of plastic supply chains.

“I am further directing the Ministry of Environment to prepare an Osun State Action Plan Against Plastic Pollution. The plan must embrace local and international best practices alongside an implementation plan with deliverables.

“The plan must be ready within the next three months so that implementation must commence in the last quarter of this year. By the 2024 celebration of World Environment Day, Osun must have achieved milestones in concerted efforts to control plastic pollution.

“Our ambition is to be a leading sub-national entity within Nigeria in the fight against plastic pollution as much as in the general climate action arena.

“It is that ambition that drives my approval of Osun Climate Change Agenda, the first comprehensive state climate plan in Nigeria. I therefore direct the Head of Service and the Ministry of Environment to put into effect the approvals on the Governor’s Climate and Renewable Energy Advisory Council, the development of the State Climate Action Policy, the engagement of Climate Action consultant, the establishment of a Carbon Tracking Research unit at the Osun State University among others.

“To address the plastic pollution and the climate change question, sub-national entities cannot leave the issue to the national governments alone. State governments worldwide must rise up and create plans of action.”

In his own speech, Chairman of the Climate and Renewable Energy Advisory Council, Mallam Olawale Rasheed noted that the Osun state government has taken bold decisions in the direction of sub-national entities taking an active and frontline role in the fight to save the planet from climate change.

He added that pillars of the proposed agenda are Disaster risk management; Food and nutrition security; Water and the blue economy; Forestry, wildlife and tourism; Health, sanitation and human settlements; Business Sector; Energy and transport.

Rasheed maintained that the objectives of the agenda are to reduce risk and vulnerability to climate change, strengthen resilience, enhance well-being and the capacity to anticipate, and respond successfully to change.

ACTION AREAS OF THE AGENDA

● Clean and renewable energy expansion

● Energy efficiency measures

●Transportation sector transitions

● Management of Greenhouse Emission

● Offsetting carbon emissions by preserving forests, croplands, wetlands and urban greenspaces.

STATE POLICY ACTIONS

● Update / create state regulations that address protection and conservation of vulnerable and impacted resources.

● Support communities and stakeholders in the form of training, resources and technical assistance.

● Create management plans for natural resources, emergency response, state facilities and agency equipment.

● Update facility design and operation that accounts for future climate conditions.

● Promote research and monitoring that studies the impacts of climate change and methods of adapting.

● Engage in outreach and education on climate change impacts and adaptation.

● Provide agency support that provides the resources to implement resilience action

MAJOR INSTRUMENTS OF THE AGENDA

● Creation of a Nine Member Governor’s Climate Advisory Council. Located directly under the State Governor, the Council serves as the apex driving platform for the state climate actions and interactions.

● Engagement of a Lead Technical Consultant: The LTC provides the technical backup for the Council and the State Climate efforts including leading efforts at creation of a State Climate Action Plan among others. The task involves securing funding for the state climate action plan.

● Development of a State Climate Action Plan in the short and medium term. This provides a policy framework for the state Climate agenda.

● Creation of Climate Carbon Data Research unit at the Osun State University. This is to serve as a data bank of state Carbon credit resources for effective participation in the area of carbon credit and climate finance.

● Business Carbon Project: The state is to partner with the state business community through the Osun State Chamber of Commerce and Industry to create a carbon project. This will involve getting businesses to adopt renewable energy and energy efficiency alternatives.

● Creation of a Department of Climate Change and renaming of the Ministry to Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. These two approvals are to raise the bar and affirm high level state commitment to climate goals.

● Osun Climate Action Act: This is to be the ultimate goal to ensure the climate policy plan is transformed into an act of the State Assembly. This is to give force of law to climate goals across the sub-sectors.

NEXT LINES OF ACTIONS

● The Governor’s Climate Advisory Council is taken off without delay. This will provide a coordinating platform for all other plans listed in the agenda.

● The process of the engagement of the Lead Technical Consultant is almost finalised.

● The creation of the department of Climate Change is underway at the Ministry of Environment.

● The Creation of a Business Carbon Project is already a subject of discourse with the leadership of Osun State Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

● Participation of Osun State at CoP28 holding in Dubai between 30 Nov – 12 Dec 2023. Osun will present its state climate plan and advocate for more roles for sub-national entities in the global climate action plans.

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