COP27: We can't afford more delays, blame game must stop, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has made new commitments, on behalf of Nigeria, to tackle the global climate crisis. He also urged world leaders to stop the blame game and avoid delays in implementing efforts to tackle climate change. Mr. Buhari spoke at the clean energy transition event organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) on Monday, on the sidelines of the ongoing Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt. /p> danger signs

The President, represented by Nigerian Environment Minister, Mohammed Abdullahi, acknowledged that the world is at a critical juncture regarding its climate future. He said actions today and over the coming decades will determine the fate of future generations and the planet.

Mr. Buhari recounted the weather disasters that happened this year alone across the globe. “This year we have witnessed disastrous extreme weather events, ranging from terrifying wildfires in the United States to unprecedented heat waves in India, Pakistan and Europe, to intense flooding in my country. , Nigeria. Since the beginning of the summer until now, devastating floods have affected approximately 33 states in Nigeria, displacing more than 1.4 million people, destroying more than 100,000 hectares of farmland and causing approximately 600 In addition, we are witnessing an increase in desertification, erosion and pollution in the country, the impacts of which are too serious to ignore,” he said.

The president said these glaring climate signals indicate the world does not have the luxury of taking time out when it comes to the impacts of climate change.

He therefore called for urgent and decisive climate action from the countries most responsible for the emissions that cause climate change, saying the case for accelerated climate action is even more urgent. He said developing countries are committed to action despite contributing very little to climate change.

“As will be strongly requested here at COP27, we cannot afford any further delay; our peoples and our nations are at stake. The blame game must end, an affirmative and positive engagement to address these challenges must begin NOW. »

Mr. Buhari said African countries are committed to tackling climate change by taking bold action.

He said; “African nations are showing commitment through signing the Paris Agreement, submitting highly ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and spending up to 9% of their GDP to fight climate change.< /p>

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"However, as we seek to pursue our climate ambitions, we We are keenly aware of other pressing concerns that need to be addressed, not the least of which is energy poverty on the continent. . With the energy consumed for electricity, heating and transport accounting for more than 70% of global emissions, we recognize that a rapid energy transition must be at the center of our climate efforts, but we also know that we need much more energy. »< /p>

Still talking about energy deficits, Mr Buhari said it had staggering ramifications on the quality and length of life. “For example, deficits in clean cooking cause an estimated 500 million premature deaths each year from household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa, and due to electricity deficits, half of secondary schools and a quarter of schools of health in the...