Reps okays climate change bill

Faults police over alleged media trial of Chidinma

THE House of Representatives has endorsed a bill aimed at curtailing the impact of climate change in the country.

The bill, which seeks to provide for the Mainstreaming of Climate Change Actions and Establish the National Council on Climate Change, is to be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

The chairman of the House committee on climate change, Mr. Sam Onuigbo, while shedding light on the bill, said that it provides for a carbon budget for Nigeria with the ultimate aim of attaining net zero emission between 2050- 2070.

“To achieve the carbon budget, there will be yearly and five- yearly carbon reduction targets for private and public entities, as will be captured in the National Climate Change

Action Plan,” he said.

He noted further that once the bill is assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, a Climate Change Fund would be established to provide funding for activities geared towards attaining Nigeria’s Climate Change obligations.

Other salient aspects of the bill entail the provision for Nigeria to address climate

change using nature- based solutions such as REDD+ ( Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks), and Environmental Economic Accounting.

Also, the House called on the Nigerian Police Force to refrain from parading Ms. Chidinma Ojukwu before the public on the murder of Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Mr. Usifo Ataga.