Environment

Climate crisis: economists ‘grossly undervalue young lives’, warns Stern

Many economic assessments of the climate crisis “grossly undervalue the young lives and future generations”, Prof Nicholas Stern warned on Tuesday, before the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

Economists have failed to take account of the “immense risks and potential loss of life” that could occur as a result of the climate crisis, he said, as well as badly underestimating the speed at which the costs of clean technologies, such as solar and wind energy, have fallen.

Stern said the economics profession had also misunderstood the basics of “discounting”, the way in which economic models value future assets and lives compared with their value today. “It means economists have grossly undervalued the lives of young people and future generations who are most at threat from the devastating impacts of climate change,” he said. “Discounting has been applied in such a way that it is effectively discrimination by date of birth.”

Youth protests around the world, sparked by the school strike of Greta Thunberg, have been a key factor in increasing demands for action in recent years, along with rising extreme weather events. Recent research shows people born today will suffer many times more extreme heatwaves and other climate disasters over their lifetimes than their grandparents.

However, Stern said: “The move to net zero [emissions] can be the great driver of a new form of growth – the growth story of the 21st century. This growth will be more resource-efficient, more productive, and healthier, and will offer greater protection to our biodiversity.”

Renewable energy costs have fallen dramatically and electric cars are moving to scale, he said, while 75% of global emissions are now covered by national commitments to net zero emissions by the middle part of century, though “some of those commitments are more credible than others”.

Stern’s remarks are based on a paper to be published in the Economic Journal of the Royal Economic Society and made to mark the 15th anniversary of the landmark Stern review on the economics of the climate crisis in 2006. It concluded that the costs of inaction on climate were far greater than the costs of action and that the climate crisis was the biggest market failure in history.

Since the publication of the report, carbon emissions have risen by 20% and Stern was scathing about much of the economic analysis that has informed policymakers. “Cavalier treatment of risk, and the missing of the very rapid technical progress, means the models have been profoundly misleading,” he said. The theory of discounting had not been related to its ethical foundations, he added, or allowed for the risk that global heating will make future generations poorer.

Political action has been slow since 2006, Stern said, because of the persistence of the “damaging” idea that climate action cuts economic growth and also because of the global financial crisis, which diverted attention and cut middle-class incomes, making politics more “fractious”.

“The economic question now is: how do we manage the radical transformation we have to make in the world economy in the next 20 or 30 years?” he said. “How do we promote the 2% or 3% extra investment we’ll need – which is a very valuable investment, not a cost.”

A whole range of policies are needed, Stern said, including carbon pricing, regulation, product standards, investment in research and reform of capital markets. A critical factor is the provision of large-scale, low-cost finance to fund the low-carbon transition, especially in developing countries.

Stern was directly involved in the negotiation of a promised $100bn a year in climate finance from rich nations in Copenhagen in 2009. But this has yet to be delivered and it is a vital goal of Cop26. On Monday, developed countries released a delivery plan to mobilise the funding, projecting the goal would be surpassed in 2023 onward, after being nearly attained in 2022. Nick Mabey at the E3G thinktank said it was “just about credible”.

The Stern review was criticised by some when published as exaggerating the risks of the climate crisis. “The idea that I was alarmist is just laughable in retrospect. We underestimated the dangers. The costs of inaction were very worrying 15 years ago – they are immensely worrying now.”

Environment

300 environmental offenders sanctioned by Kwara Govt

About 300 environmental offenders were sanctioned on Saturday by the Kwara State Government for violating the environmental law of the state.

They were arrested and prosecuted before various mobile courts during the monthly sanitation exercise held at the weekend across the state.

The state government, however, commended residents of the state for compliance towards the successful monthly sanitation exercise held on Saturday, within and outside the state capital.

The Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa-Buge, gave the commendation in Ilorin while fielding questions from journalists, at the check point, along Lagos road, immediately after the exercise.

“Let me use this medium to express our delight with an increase in the level of compliance, by the good people of Kwara State, towards the successful sanitation exercise, most especially, the metropolis. I urge you all to sustain the tempo.”

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Ayinla, appreciated the mobile courts Judges, monitoring and security agents, transport unions and relevant bodies, for their steadfastness in the discharge of their duties.

She implored the people, to strictly adhere to the three hours sanitation exercise, scheduled for the cleaning their residential and business environments, in order to sustain clean and safe environment, for a healthy living, according to a statement by the press secretary of the ministry, Kamaldeen Aliagan in Ilorin on Sunday.

Environment

NiMet predicts 3-day thunderstorms from Monday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi and Zamfara states in the northern region during the morning hours.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Zamfara, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kebbi, Adamawa, and Taraba states during the afternoon and evening hours.

In the North Central region, the agency said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger and Kwara states during the morning hours.

It added that later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, and Plateau states.

NiMet further stated that localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Ondo states in the southern cities during the morning hours.

The agency anticipated localised thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom states later in the day.

For Tuesday morning, NiMet said localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states in the northern region.

It forecast localised thunderstorms over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno and Gombe states later in the day.

According to NiMet, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa states during the morning hours.

In the afternoon and evening hours, it predicted localised thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Niger states.

In the southern cities, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo states during the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom states.

The agency predicted morning localised thunderstorms over parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kebbi states in the northern region on Wednesday.

It envisaged localised thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, and Kano states.

In the North Central region, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa and Kogi states in the morning hours.

Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Benue states.

Localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in the southern cities during the morning hours,” the agency said.

According to the agency, localised thunderstorms are expected over parts of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa states later in the day.

NiMet urged residents to avoid flood-prone areas as there could be a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours and strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

It urged the public to stay informed through its weather updates.

It also advised airline operators to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

Environment

NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms across Nigeria

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms from Thursday to Saturday across Nigeria. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Wednesday in Abuja predicted thunderstorms over parts of Kebbi state on Thursday during the morning hours in the North.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

“In the North central region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, and Kwara states during the morning hours.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are expected over the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue states,” it said.

According to NiMet, in the southern region there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Delta states during the morning hours.

It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Enugu, Ondo, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Oyo, Edo, Ogun, Osun, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, and Delta states later in the day.

“For Saturday, in the North central region thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Taraba and Adamawa states in the morning hours.

“In the afternoon into evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Katsina. Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states.

“In the North Central region, there are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Plateau and Niger states during the morning hours,” it said.

According to NiMet, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory later in the day.

“In the Southern region, thunderstorms are expected over part of Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, and Delta states during the morning hours.

“Progressing into the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Delta, and Cross River states,” lt sad.

According to NiMet, in the northern region, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Taraba State in the morning hours of Sunday.

It forecast thunderstorms over parts of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, and Jigawa states later in the day.

It predicted cloudy skies in the North central region with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the region in the morning hours.

“Thunderstorms are expected over parts of Kwara, Kogi, and Benue States during the afternoon into evening hours.

“In the southern region, thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Delta, Rivers, and Lagos states.

“Later in the day, thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Cross River states,” it said.

The agency urged residents to avoid flood- prone area as there is high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours.

According to NiMet, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur, public should take adequate precaution while relevant authorities are to adhere to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.

“Public and Airline operators are advised to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.

“Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates from NiMet.

“Visit our website www.nimet.gov,” it said. (NAN)