The Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has received the First Climate Change Champion Award.
The award was presented to him by Nurses Across the Borders International at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 28 Side Event in recognition of his outstanding performance in mitigation of effects of climate change in Delta State and his contributions to the multi-stakeholders partnership initiative for implementation of UNF Triple C Adaptive Strategies.
According to a press release made available to THISDAY, the event which took place on Monday, December 11, 2023, at the Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has the theme, ''Building Partnership in Promoting Public Health through Ecological Restoration: What is at Stake''.
Accepting the honour, the highly elated and excited Governor while speaking through the head of the powerful delegation from Delta State, who doubled as the representative of the governor, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu, stated that the theme of the side event: ''Building Partnership in Promoting Public Health through Ecological Restoration: What is at Stake?' was striking and effectual to him personally as a climate change advocate, and to the government of Delta State of Nigeria. ''It will help Delta State to shape and align our Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Roadmap, to cover more facets and frontiers in climate change mitigation and adaptation.''
The governor disclosed his government's activities on climate change since assumption of office ''On assumption of office as the Governor of Delta State on May 29, 2023, my passion for the environmental sustainability made me formulate and drive climate change policies towards mitigation and adaptation as well as just energy transition. As an oil-producing state, we strive to strike a balance between carbon energy phase out and green energy.''
Oborevwori stated that with the collaboration of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Commission (DESOPADEC) as the key driver of his government's energy transition in collaboration with Nurses Across the Borders, the government is developing an energy transition template with the cardinal framework as 'Just carbon energy phase down, phase out' and ushering the new horizon of an Eldorado of green energy sustainable phase in Delta State. ''Our goal is to set a strong sustainable trajectory and roadmap through which the above goals can be achieved.''
He called on the United Nations and world leaders to prioritise climate change adaptation and mitigation for the world to achieve a 1.5-degree centigrade threshold. ''I am not oblivious to the dilemma of COP 28 Transition Committee of LOSS and Damage fund. I note with concerns the debacle, face-offs, debates for and against the administration and operationalization of the fund, the issues of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR), the World Bank warehouse of the fund, and the politics of global North and South. May I use this opportunity to call on the United Nations and world leaders to prioritise climate change adaptation and mitigation for the world to achieve a 1.5-degree centigrade threshold?''
Oborevwori spoke further on the need to preserve the mother earth ''The earth is the only habitat we have and the only operational existential platform for humanity and other living and non-living things whether global south or north. If we allow climate change catastrophe to destroy the earth and the intergenerational equity of our beautiful children born and unborn in the global South and global North without exception, posterity will not be kind to us.
''It is either we live on the earth by preserving its prosperity for human enjoyment or we die by the earth by deliberately destroying her through climate change naivety and negligence. This would be most disastrous and irresponsible of mankind, that we cannot manage what is freely given to us by nature.
''I call on world leaders to ward off climate change politics or denials and come to terms with climate change justice. The global South is the worst hit of the climate change-induced impacts, yet underdeveloped. There is a great hashtag #Nigeria Climate Emergency, especially in Delta State, as a result. For decades, we have been confronted with drought, flooding, climate change-induced internally displaced persons in various IDP camps due to loss of habitat, food insecurity and health-related issues like pandemics and epidemics.
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''Delta State as well as Nigeria is in dire need of Loss and Damage Funding to enable it to ameliorate climate change-induced impacts. Our government through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, my office and DESPODEC in collaboration with the Climate Change office of Nurses Across the Borders, our climate change consultants, shall after this conference seek modalities through which Delta State can access all climate change funding, benefits, and assistance from the United Nations agencies, partners, World Bank, groups, and donor agencies for the benefit of Delta State people and Nigeria in general.''
