22nd December, 2011
Chairman, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, has made a strong case for African communities devastated by climate change. He did this at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-17) of the United Nations framework convention on climate change UNFCCC, IN Durban, South Africa.
Armed with the resolutions at the mayoral climate change conference hosted by the Lagos State government, a few months ago, Comrade Ayodele called on the international community to recognise local councils, communities, and counties as active partners and stakeholders in all the processes and actions to combat climate change.
The Amuwo Odofin council boss drew the attention of the over 20,000 negotiators from 200 countries to the plight of the African continent in terms of climate change impact, including global warming, drought, desertification, retreating seas, famine and coastal flooding.
A sour point of the Durban conference, however, is the deliberate action of some industrialised countries most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to place a setback on the Kyoto protocol adopted in December 1997, which committed industrialised nations to reducing GHG emissions to an average of 5% from its 1990s levels, amongst other demands. As at September 2011, 191 countries, including Nigeria were signatories to the Kyoto Protocol.
It was obvious that the 37 industrialised countries most responsible for GHG emissions were least interested in sealing that deal. The Kyoto Protocol, which will expire by 2012, will require an extension, but carbon quartet of Canada, Japan, Russia and USA have indicated they will not sign for its extension.
Among the delegates led by Comrade Ayodele to the Durban conference were Kamorudeen Ogunbadejo, Mr. Yekini Talim, and Comrade Goodluck Obi.