TheCable

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:

• Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, on January 3, said the country needs policies that will drive investment in renewable energy. Abbas said the world is moving towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources and Nigeria needs to follow the trend. He said the nation’s youthful population is “innovative and creative”, adding that Nigeria must harness their growth potential. Read more here.
• Last week, Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s environment minister, was appointed as president of COP29. The 29th session of the United Nations climate change conference is scheduled to hold in Baku, the country’s capital, in November. The COP28 presidency said Babayev will chair the talks, while Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijan’s deputy foreign minister, will be his lead negotiator. Find out more here.
• The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) says it will ensure effective waste management and increase its recycling efforts in 2024. In a statement released on January 5, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, LAWMA’s managing director, said that in line with the sustainability agenda of the state government, the agency would focus on recycling plastic and converting organic waste into compost and biogas. Gbadegesin said LAWMA is planning to collaborate with LGs to enforce the state’s  zero-tolerance policy on street trading. He added that the authority would continue to promote waste sorting at source, as well as implement programmes where residents could make money from recyclables.
• In a statement released on January 4, Felix Odimegwu, Anambra commissioner for environment, urged residents of the state to desist from environmental pollution. Odimegwu said the burning of tyres and other non-biodegradable materials are unfriendly to the environment, adding that residents should avoid indulging in unhealthy environmental practices. The commissioner further said toxic pollutants are significantly released into the air whenever non-biodegradable substances such as tyres are burnt. He said that a taskforce from the ministry had already swung into action to track down those involved in such practices.