FG Pledges Social Justice on Climate Change, Transition, Technology

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government has pledged that in the face of climate change and its attendant consequences, it will give social justice in the all transitions needed and will uphold the place of technology.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Ishak Adakole Salako, stated this when he received a communique on symposium report of energy transition in Nigeria, from the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Development Agenda Magazine, Mr. Paddy Ezeala.

The minister who stated that the government is emplacing mechanisms to create awareness on the dangers of environmental abuse, noted that many have been in the ignorant practice of desecrating the eco system, hence the need for awareness.

His words: “There is the need to tackle the immediacy of climate change and the sector is facing ignorance and lack of awareness. People do a lot of things that are negative to the environment out of ignorance.

“In this part of the world, environmental issues must be looked at with microscopic eyes. Fuel fossil is like a life support. To take it off, a supplement must be given or else there will be suffocation. Support must be given so that transition will be leading to justice.

“Justice is a very important element to the energy technological programme. It’s is not just justice about transition that is needed but about the technology we are bringing forth. We need to bring things that resonate with our environment and people.

“We will continue to need professionalism and expertise to see that environmental stewardship is respected. With this, mass action of people is needed to implement it at every level.”

Ezeala had earlier stated that the issue of energy transition was fast moving and with the need for the country to catch up with the rest of the world, particularly in the area of social justice.

He stated that due to the consequences that climate change poses around the globe, it is important for the nation to have alternatives outside petrol and to consider whether the trend will create more jobs or deplete available opportunities.

He said: “The environment is so devastated that we are spending so much for remedy. We are working to see that we don’t cause problem here and there. How do we tackle the challenges of the northern hemisphere? There is the need to tackle it in a holistic manner.”