Despite directly impacting our communities, health, and livelihoods, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business.
Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken toward limiting its impact.
Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:
- On June 5, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations (UN) secretary general, asked countries to deliver on their commitments to restore degraded ecosystems and land. The UN chief spoke in his message to commemorate World Environment Day. Guterres said land use is responsible for 11 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions heating the planet. He said countries around the world must use their new national climate action plans to set out how they would halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. Read more here.
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Also, in a post shared on X on June 5, Guterres called on countries to ban the advertisement of fossil fuels. He said as governments restrict the advertising of harmful products like tobacco, the same should be done for fossil fuels. The UN chief urged media and tech companies to reject advertisement offers from fossil fuel companies. Read more here.
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President Bola Tinubu says the federal government is committed to planting 25 million trees by 2030 to protect the environment. In a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, to commemorate World Environment Day, Tinubu called for “a more proactive approach” to protect the land and ecosystem through afforestation and water conservation. The president said the event was important for raising awareness on environmental matters, particularly “the scourge of drought” threatening parts of the country. Read more here.
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A report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed that May 2024 was the hottest on record. The organisation said it was the 11th consecutive month of record temperatures exceeding the 1.5°C pre-industrial level. C3S said the global average surface air temperature for the month stood at 0.65 °C above the 1991–2020 average. Carlo Buontempo, the director of CS3, said a “cold” temperature can be achieved if the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere is stabilised. Find out more here.
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A report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) says expanding the production of liquified natural gas (LNG) could put Nigeria in a “precarious economic situation”. The report added that the expansion could prolong the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and leave it with “stranded assets” as international demand for gas falls. It warned of a high likelihood that any scale-up of LNG production could leave Nigeria with reduced financing for clean energy sources. The report said Nigeria must “realistically manage” its gas ambitions, align with transition plans, and prioritise community development in gas projects. Read more here.
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Nkiruka Maduekwe as the director-general (DG) of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). In a statement issued on June 9, Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, said Maduekwe will serve in an acting capacity pending her confirmation by the NCCC supervisory council. Maduekwe, 39, takes over from Salisu Dahiri, pioneer DG of NCCC, whom she served as legal adviser. Read more here.
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