Environment

Zac Goldsmith hails ‘unprecedented’ deal at Cop26 to save world’s forests

Saving the world’s forests will be one of the cornerstone achievements of the Cop26 climate summit, the UK environment minister Zac Goldsmith has said, with some of the biggest forested nations and consumers of forestry products signing up to an “unprecedented” conservation deal.

On Tuesday, more than 100 world leaders will commit to halting and reversing deforestation and land degradation by 2030, backed by nearly £14bn in public and private funding. Major producers and consumers of deforestation-linked commodities including Indonesia, China, Brazil and the US have put their name to the deal, which aims to curtail the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lord Goldsmith said: “This is a genuinely unprecedented package. People will be able to justify having hope [that the world’s forests can be saved]. This puts us on a road to recovery and renewal.”

He said it had “not been easy” to persuade many of the countries involved to join, as the deal requires not just a commitment to halt deforestation – which has never been achieved before, despite numerous failed attempts – and provide forested countries with funds to replace the money they would have made from exploiting forested land, but also to reforming aspects of commodity markets so that buyers cannot get away with importing commodities produced from deforested land.

“The different parts of the package are mutually reinforcing,” said Goldsmith. “We are sending a very serious signal to the markets, we have a good pledge from buyers. The market has been blind to the value of the environment … The [current economic] incentives to deforest are 40 times bigger than the incentives to keep healthy forests, so changing that is difficult.”

The line-up of countries includes China and Brazil, as well as smaller developing countries, and some big buyers of forestry products which will clean up their supply chains.

“There are some surprising countries in there, and this is a pretty bullish pledge,” said the Conservative peer, though he declined to name any countries. “We have managed to persuade some of the trickier customers to come on board.”

Goldsmith, son of the late billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith, has long been a notable environmentalist, a former owner of the Ecologist magazine and a campaigner and philanthropist for conservation projects. His political career as an MP, which included a campaign running against Labour’s Sadiq Khan to be London mayor that was marred by accusations of Islamophobia, was ended by defeat in the 2019 election. Soon afterwards he was put in the Lords, controversially, by Boris Johnson. He was charged by Johnson, an old friend and fellow old Etonian, with what he said was a personal passion for protecting nature and combating the loss of species and habitats.

“Putting nature at the heart [of the Cop] has been my obsession. It’s mad that nature has always been more or less forgotten [in climate negotiations],” said Goldsmith.

The difficulty of achieving the broader deal hoped for at Cop26, of drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in line with scientific advice, was apparent on the first day of the summit, when more than 120 world leaders gathered in Glasgow. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, delivered a gloomy forecast of the prospects. “Recent climate action announcements might give the impression that we are on track to turn things around,” he said. “This is an illusion.”

In this context, having a side deal on forestry in the bag is a major boost for the UK as hosts. However, some countries and analysts told said the agreement, while important, was flawed and lacking in some key respects, with too little cash being dedicated to helping poor countries preserve their forests, and too little emphasis on reducing demand for the commodities – such as soy, palm oil and beef – that drive deforestation in the first place.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said: “Everyone wants to see zero deforestation, not least the indigenous peoples whose homes and livelihoods are under threat. But without tackling the drivers of destruction it’s like whistling in the wind to think cash alone will work. Cattle and soya for animal feed are wiping out the Amazon and savannahs of Brazil. The industrial meat industry, like its counterpart in the fossil fuel sector, needs to come to an end.”

He added: “Every climate scientist is saying we need to eat less meat. We won’t save the forests until politicians stop ignoring that message.”

Indigenous leaders, who have been shown to be the best guardians of the natural world by several studies, have also said they were not consulted on the declaration, adding that many leaders making the commitment had a history of breaking promises on protecting indigenous rights.

Goldsmith said the deal would benefit forest dwellers. “Indigenous people have always been seen as second tier [at Cops], they have never been given this support before,” he said. “I think for them this support will be a turning point at this Cop.”

He added: “When you put it all together, it’s a robust package, trying to get as many major countries together as possible to commit to ending deforestation. But it’s worth nothing unless they back this up with policies. It will be our job to make this real.”

Environment

NiMet predicts 3-day rain, thunderstorms from Monday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted rain and thunderstorms from Monday to Wednesday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged thunderstorms with moderate rains during the morning hours over parts of Yobe, Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi State.

According to it, the remaining parts of the region will be sunny with patches of clouds.

“Thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected during the afternoon or evening hours over parts of
Adamawa, Taraba, Zamfara, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa and Yobe.

”For the central region, Cloudy skies with sunny intervals will be experienced during the morning hours.

”In afternoon or evening hours, thunderstorms with moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue
and Niger States,” it said.

The agency envisaged cloudy skies over the southern region with prospects of light rains over parts of Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers during the morning hours.

It predicted moderate rain to continue into the afternoon or evening hours.

According to it, there are prospects of thunderstorms on Tuesday with moderate rains over parts of Adamawa, Gombe and Kaduna States during the morning hours in the northern region.

It forecast thunderstorms with moderate rains during the afternoon or evening hours over parts of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Bauchi, Yobe, Jigawa, Borno and Zamfara.

“For the central region, morning thunderstorms with light to moderate rains are anticipated over parts of Plateau and Nasarawa States.

“Afternoon or evening thunderstorms with moderate to heavy rains are anticipated over most parts
of the region.

“For the southern region, there are chances of morning rains over parts of Abia, Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa States,” it said.

The agency anticipated moderate to heavy rains over the entire region during the afternoon or evening periods.

NiMet predicted morning thunderstorms on Wednesday with rain over parts of Taraba, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina and Kaduna States.

It forecast thunderstorms with moderate rain over parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Borno and Yobe States later in the day.

“For the central region: there are chances of thunderstorms with moderate rains over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger.

“Thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue states during the afternoon to evening periods.

“For the southern region, there are prospects of morning coastal rains over parts of Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States during the morning hours.

According to it, the remaining parts are expected to be cloudy. Moderate to heavy rains are expected across the Southern region during the afternoon or evening periods.

NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.

“Ensure that loose objects are fastened to avoid collision. Driving under heavy rain should be avoided. Disconnect electrical appliances from electrical sockets.

“Stay away from tall trees to avoid impact from falling branches and broken trees. Airline operators are advised to get airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) 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.ng,” it said.

Environment

Flood: Kano govt, NEMA hold simulation exercise

The Kano state government has teamed up with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to carry out a large-scale flood disaster simulation in Wudil Local Government Area.

The exercise featured practical demonstrations of flood evacuation, first aid, and coordination of emergency services, all aimed at improving readiness and protecting lives in vulnerable communities.

Kano State Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo described the initiative as a crucial step to mitigate flooding. “It is often said that prevention is better than cure, and what we are doing today is a preventive measure. While we do not pray for disasters, we must be prepared so that, if anything happens, the level of destruction will be greatly reduced.”

Gwarzo assured NEMA of the state government’s readiness to support similar interventions in the future. “Under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, we are committed to working with all relevant agencies. We will do whatever it takes to prevent or at least minimize damage from flooding,” he said.

In her remarks, NEMA Director General, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, commended Kano for hosting the simulation, which also involved participants from Jigawa and Yobe states.

“Our aim is to move from being reactive to being proactive. This exercise is also about identifying gaps in our preparedness and finding ways to improve.”

She praised the collaboration among local emergency committees, Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and community groups.

Environment

Prepare for extreme weather events, climate variability, NiMet warns

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has advised that there is need to prepare for extreme weather events and climate variability in the coming days due to climate change.

Its Director-General, Prof. Charles Anosike, said the extreme weather events could cause damage to buildings, infrastructure, and farmlands, displacement of people and loss of lives.

The NiMet boss stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at a one-day sensitisation forum organised by NiMet in partnership with First Green White Resources.

Anosike while stating the strategic role of the media in communicating scientific data to the public, noted that the agency’s success depends not only on the accuracy of its forecasts but also on effective communication.

The DG urged the media to collaborate with the agency to make Nigeria better informed, prepared, and resilient in the face of climate variability and extreme weather events.

He said: ‘Reports by the media guide disaster preparedness, food production, and help pilots avoid hazardous situations. The success of NiMet does not rest solely on the accuracy of our scientific data and information but also depends on the effectiveness of the information to the public which is where the media play a crucial role.

‘The management of NiMet is poised to provide quality service in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu. Within the last year alone, we have sponsored staff to training within and outside the country, and we have taken necessary steps to address issues concerning staff welfare.

‘If we are better informed and better prepared, we will be more resilient in the face of the recent extreme weather events and climate variability’.

The Director of Weather Forecasting Services (DWFS), Prof. Vincent Weli disclosed that plans are ongoing to share weather information to telecommunication subscribers through NiMet’s partnership with MTN.

He said: ‘We just signed an MoU with MTN to be able to move to the next level where weather information can be appearing in the phones of Nigerians. We are not there yet, but we’re almost 70% to disseminate.

‘MTN is the only network provider for now, but we also believe that we will reach out to other network providers so that no matter the network people use, they will be able to have weather information in the language that they understand’.