Environment

UK Accused Of Ignoring Plight Of Green Activists In Afghanistan

UK accused of ignoring plight of green activists in Afghanistan

Environmental campaigners who worked with UK officials fear for their lives after receiving death threats

The UK government has been accused of ignoring the plight of three environmental activists from Afghanistan who worked with British officials to mitigate the damaging impact of climate change on their country before the Taliban takeover.

The campaigners, who have received credible threats to their lives, do not know the fate of one of their colleagues who was detained by the Taliban.

The three were employed via Oxford Policy Management, an international development consulting firm, to carry out work for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on climate change. They are now in hiding.

Repeated letters and emails to the FCDO have gone unanswered along with applications to the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy scheme (Arap).

One of the climate activists, Mohammed, who spoke from his hiding place in Kabul, said he feared the Taliban were closing in.

“Sometimes I think I’ll just go and surrender to the Taliban so they can kill me and it will all be over,” he said. “It is hard to explain to my young son why I cannot take him to the park. We have begged the UK government to rescue us but so far our pleas have been ignored.”

Greta Thunberg tweeted an appeal to help environmental activists from Fridays for Future get out of Afghanistan.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, of the Taliban’s cultural commission, pledged to work with the global community to fight issues such as climate change in an interview with Newsweek. However, Mohammed said he did not believe the Taliban were committed to tackling the climate emergency.

“So far the Taliban has not appointed a minister for the environment. They believe the climate crisis is all arranged by Allah and humans should not intervene,” he said.

While the Taliban have previously made pro-environment statements such as one in 2017 urging people to go out and plant trees to beautify the planet, the group has also been implicated in illegal logging, planting landmines in pomegranate orchards and taxing opium poppy farmers.

While Afghanistan is responsible for only 0.03% of global emissions, the country is severely affected by climate change.

The economy is heavily dependent on farming with up to 85% of Afghans engaged in agriculture, growing crops such as wheat, potatoes and various fruits. The country has been badly affected by drought, flash floods and deforestation. Opium poppies are favoured by some farmers because they are drought-resistant and generate reliable income.

Afghanistan has many minerals that could assist with tackling climate change. Along with copper, iron, gold and cobalt, it has lithium that is needed to manufacture batteries for use in electric cars and other technology that uses renewable energy. However, extracting these minerals is challenging and unlikely to happen imminently.

The environmental activists say that as each hour passes the risk of the Taliban finding where they are hiding increases.

“The Taliban are too brutal,” said Mohammed. “They are lying to the media when they say they have changed for the better. They are even more brutal than before. One of our colleagues was contacted by the Taliban before they took over Kabul. He was told: ‘We have a list of all your colleagues who worked with the infidels. We will look for you and we will find you.’ Then he started naming our colleagues.”

In a letter dated 1 September to Dominic Raab, who was then foreign secretary, Oxford Policy Management wrote that the three climate change campaigners who had worked with the FCDO “are at imminent threat having already received several threats on their lives”. To date, no reply has been received.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK’s evacuation operation helped over 15,000 people to safety including British nationals, Afghan interpreters and other vulnerable people. The Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme will provide protection for people at risk and identified as in need. It is one of the UK’s most ambitious resettlement schemes ever and will welcome 5,000 Afghans in the first year and 20,000 over the coming years.”

Environment

NEMA cautions Lagos residents on safety amid downpour

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has cautioned Lagos residents on the need to observe safety rules to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall in the state.

NEMA Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Farinloye said motorists should park their vehicles and move away to safer environment during heavy rainfall.

He warned Lagos residents from taking shelter under temporary or makeshift accommodation during rainfall to avoid disaster.

He said people living on low level ground should move to a higher level ground for safety.

“Parents are enjoined not to send their children to errands during the rains.

“Follow instructions given by public safety officials.

“Be alert to changing weather conditions and be ready to move to higher ground.

“Consider postponing outdoor activities,” Farinloye said.

He advised parents to tie down or bring in outdoor objects (patio furniture, children’s toys, trash cans, etc.) that could be swept away or damaged during flooding.

“Consider unplugging sensitive electronic equipment before flooding occurs. But do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

“Elevate items stored in your basement to prevent damage. If you have a sump pump, check that it is working,” Farinloye said.

He stressed that residents should consider clearing street catch basins to prevent or reduce street flooding.

He said motorists should void camping or parking along streams, rivers, creeks, or other areas prone to flooding during heavy rainfall.

“These areas can flood rapidly and with little warning,” Farinloye said.

NAN reports that most parts of Lagos has been experiencing downpour for about two consecutive days, leading to flash flooding and the destruction of the roofs of some buildings.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had issued warning that about 30 states, including Lagos were at high risk of severe flooding as the rainy season approaches, raising nationwide concern over the country’s level of preparedness. (NAN)

Environment

Time for climate action is now, not tomorrow- Tinubu to Global leaders

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged world leaders to demonstrate unity, courage, and sustained commitment in addressing the worsening global climate crisis.

Speaking on Wednesday during a high-level virtual dialogue on climate and the just transition, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to forging a paradigm shift in which climate action and economic growth advance together, not in opposition.

“The global climate emergency demands our collective, courageous, and sustained leadership. For Nigeria, the urgency of this moment is clear: we view climate action not as a cost to development, but as a strategic imperative.”

The meeting, co-hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inacia Lula da Silva, aimed to accelerate global climate ambition ahead of COP30, which Brazil will host.

Leaders from 17 countries, including China, the European Union, climate-vulnerable states, and key regional blocs such as the African Union, ASEAN, and the Alliance of Small Island States, participated in the meeting.

The leaders sent a clear message: climate action is moving forward, full speed ahead.

Addressing the session from Abuja, President Tinubu outlined Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) as a bold, pragmatic roadmap for reaching net-zero emissions by 2060. The ETP targets five core sectors—power, cooking, transportation, oil and gas, and industry—and identifies a financing need of over $410 billion by 2060 to achieve these goals.

“We are, therefore, in the process of aligning our regulatory environment, fiscal incentives, and institutional frameworks to ensure that energy access, decarbonisation, and economic competitiveness proceed in lockstep. We are also taking leadership on Energy Access,” he said.

President Tinubu underscored Nigeria’s role as an anchor country in the Mission 300 initiative, implemented in partnership with the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The initiative aims to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

He recalled his participation in the Dar es Salaam Declaration earlier this year and Nigeria’s presentation of its National Energy Compact, which outlines reform commitments, investment opportunities, and measurable targets to expand clean energy access and clean cooking solutions.

“This compact is among the first of its kind in Africa and lays out our policy reform commitments and specific investment opportunities in the energy sector. It sets quantifiable targets to grow electricity access and increase clean cooking penetration.

“We are working to build capacity and ensure that we meet these targets, reflecting not just our ambition but also our commitment to deliver on that ambition measurably,” he said.

As part of the broader energy reforms architecture, President Tinubu announced the finalisation of the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Policy in March 2025. This policy will unlock up to $2.5 billion by 2030 in high-integrity carbon credits and related investments.

He disclosed that Nigeria is actively updating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with plans to present a comprehensive revision by September 2025.

“Our climate strategy is not limited to planning and regulation — it is also rooted in market reform.

“We are working to position Nigeria as a premier destination for climate-smart investment through the development of a Global Climate Change Investment Fund, which will serve as a platform to blend public and private capital, de-risk green infrastructure, and finance clean energy solutions at scale,” he said.

The fund will support key national priorities such as green industrial hubs, e-mobility infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and renewable energy mini-grids for underserved communities.

President Tinubu thanked international partners, particularly the United Nations and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), for their advisory and technical support.

“These partnerships are a shining example of the value of multilateral cooperation in climate delivery. We are prepared to collaborate, lead, and deliver — because we understand that the time for climate action is not tomorrow; it is now,” he said.

Environment

NiMet forecasts three-day thunderstorms from Sunday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted thundery weather from Sunday to Tuesday across the country.

In its weather outlook released on Saturday in Abuja, NiMet noted the possibility of localized thunderstorms in parts of Taraba, Adamawa, and southern Kaduna States, primarily during the afternoon or evening on Sunday.

Additionally, NiMet anticipates partly cloudy skies over the North-Central region during the morning hours.

“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, and Kogi states.

“Over the southern region, cloudy morning is expected with chances of localised thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta States.

“Later in the day, localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Anambra, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Abia, Ekiti, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta States,” it said.

The agency predicted sunny skies on Monday over the northern region throughout the forecast period, with the exception of some parts of Adamawa, Kaduna and Taraba States where isolated thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon/evening hours.

“Sunny skies with few clouds are expected across the North Central region during the morning period. Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory, Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states.

“In the southern region, cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are anticipated with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross River States.