COP28: Commonwealth Unveils New Framework for 56 Member States

•As Tuggar canvasses urgent global action against climate change

•Potential negative publicity forced my Dubai trip cancellation -Akpabio

Michael Olugbode and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Commonwealth has launched a new implementation framework to facilitate coordinated action among the 56 member countries, including African member states, on land, biodiversity and climate challenges directly impacting a quarter of the world’s land area.

A statement on Tuesday from the organisation said the latest framework was launched at the ongoing COP28. The statement read: “The Commonwealth Secretariat unveiled the Living Lands Charter Implementation Framework at a high-level event on December 3 2023, in Dubai, organised alongside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).

“The event comes after extensive consultations with Commonwealth countries since the adoption of the Living Lands Charter last year. It offered Commonwealth leaders, ministers, and development partners an opportunity to learn about the framework, share country experiences and foster collaboration on land issues.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has underscored the urgent need for concerted global action to address the pressing challenges of climate change.

The Minister made the observation while speaking at the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai.

Tuggar said that Nigeria is leading the fight against climate change in Africa by setting ambitious and realistic goals.His words: “Nigeria has ratified its commitments through a Climate Change Act and a National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). Through these, Nigeria set ambitious, albeit realistic, goals, and I am proud to state that we have hit the ground running, transforming our commitments into tangible climate action.”

Meanwhile, opening up on his absence at COP28, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said he cancelled the parliamentary session where he was to deliver a paper on Wednesday (today), at the ongoing climate conference in Dubai, to avoid negative publicity.

Akpabio, who spoke at a one-day retreat organised by the Senate Committee on Appropriation led by Senator Solomon Adeola, said he doesn’t want to be accused of leading lawmakers on the second batch of jamboree.

His words “A lot of Nigerians are worried about the numbers of contingent that attended the COP28 in Dubai. Immediately the COP28 ended, the parliamentary aspect started. I am supposed to deliver a paper tomorrow (Wednesday) in Dubai but I have been very worried on how to talk to Nigerians.

“I don’t know how they would report it. They might say that I have carried 100 senators and 250 House of Representatives members to a second batch to Dubai.

Further according to the statement during the Commonwealth framework launch, speakers including Prime Minister Robert Abela of Malta, and Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), expressed their support for the framework during the event.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, was quoted in the statement to have said: “Our Commonwealth encompasses a quarter of the world’s land area and is home to a third of the world’s mega-biodiverse countries. More than 400 endemic species are found in our small island states.

“The impact of climate change is increasingly severe across our countries. Food insecurity is increasing. Soil is depleting. The sheer scale of these challenges compels us to lead with bold action.”

She added: “With this implementation framework, we are taking a giant leap forward. It will leverage the combined strength of the Commonwealth through thematic action working groups – learning from each other and spurring one another on towards systems change and a better future for all.”

The statement explained that the framework takes a system-wide approach towards implementing the Living Lands Charter through five thematic action areas: climate-resilient agriculture for food security; soil and water conservation; sustainable green cover and biodiversity; carbon neutral and climate-resilient livestock rearing and animal husbandry; and indigenous and local people for climate-resilient development.

It revealed that countries have stepped forward to lead on priority areas of action. Guyana will champion action on sustainable green cover and biodiversity. Kenya will lead action on climate-resilient agriculture for food security. Malta will spearhead the conservation of soil and water.

It added that within each thematic area, the Commonwealth will offer extensive support to countries to achieve their commitments, stating that this support entails mobilising resources for implementation, conducting analyses for policymaking, facilitating institutional governance, offering capacity-building assistance, and generating knowledge for member countries.

Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Abela said: “The world is experiencing a triple planetary crisis, addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity, and nurturing ecological restoration of our land has become an urgent priority for all.

“As Commonwealth members, we are here to renew our commitment to work together towards this aim through the Call to Action on Living Lands [Charter]. We hope that our experience inspires Commonwealth countries facing similar tough challenges.”

The implementation framework, according to the statement, has been developed in response to a mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022.

The Secretariat for the three Rio Conventions welcomed the framework and expressed confidence in its ability to help countries achieve targets set out in the Paris Agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the UNCCD Strategic Plan for Land Degradation Neutrality.

The statement further revealed that the framework’s launch coincides with the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action.

Continuing his pitch for urgent global action against climate change, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar emphasized the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility in combating the escalating climate crisis.

Tuggar also posited that “Nigeria is on track to deploy 100 electric buses, next year with plans to increase to 1,000 E-buses, aiming to become the country with the largest electric mass transit fleet in Africa. This initiative will reduce emissions and indicate my administration’s commitment to catalyzing the market for green project deployments, job creation, and industrialization across critical sectors.”

The Minister while acknowledging the severity of the climate emergency highlighted the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and ecosystems across the globe.

He stressed the importance of upholding the principles outlined in the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the need for all nations to commit to ambitious and transparent climate targets.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria to its nationally determined contributions, underscoring the nation’s dedication to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

Tuggar however called upon the international community to transcend political differences and work collaboratively towards meaningful and immediate climate solutions, expressing a resounding commitment to fostering international cooperation, encouraging innovation, and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.

He highlighted Nigeria’s support for initiatives that advance climate resilience, technology transfer, and capacity-building in developing nations, and emphasized the importance of financial commitments from developed nations to assist developing countries in their transition to low-carbon economies.

In further clarification of his absence, Senate President Akpabio said: “I don’t think I will make it to Dubai again. I have delegated that function to someone from Cote D’Ivoire to deliver my paper for me. From my assessment, most of the people that went to Dubai are from the civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations.

“They have their roles to play. Over one thousands of people that went there did not go there on behalf of the Federal Government, they represented their various NGOs.

“They all have a role to play in climate change and anybody that sees the figure would say they went with President Bola Tinubu. Most of the contingents went on behalf of the various international donor agencies.

“No fewer than 3,000 contingents went to Dubai from Brasil and none of their newspapers had reported it. I believe that they also went there on behalf of their various agencies.”