By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has restated Nigeria’s commitment to creating enabling environment that would support reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector.
The minister stated this in his speech at 86th Inland Transport Committee Conference on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Transport sector.
The conference with theme “Taking ambitious climate action -moving towards decarbonized inland transport by 2050” was organized by the United Nations Economic Session for Europe.
Lawal said it is imperative to collectively acknowledge the adverse effects of greenhouse emissions to the environment as a result of transportation and the urgency to tackle this crisis faced by our dear planet.
“Transportation, while essential for societal progress and economic growth is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions from the transportation sector, particularly from Road, Rail, and Inland waterways pose a grave threat to our environment and public health.
He called for collective responsibility to take decisive actions to mitigate these emissions and transition towards a sustainable and resilient transport system.
“In line with this commitment, the Government of Nigeria on its part will continue to create enabling environment that would support reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector and this requires implementable strategies that must have a multi-faceted approach to encompass technological innovation, regulatory measures, and international cooperation.
“This international cooperation is paramount in addressing the global nature of the challenge of the inland transport emission.
“By fostering partnerships and knowledge-sharing initiatives, we can leverage collective expertise and resources to drive meaningful progress on a global scale. I therefore call on all stakeholders to actively engage in consultation process and provide feedback to refine and strengthen our collective response to this pressing global issue.”
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