Nigeria’s legal responses to climate change obligations

Izoukumor, Noah

Abstract

This thesis set out to analyse the effectiveness of the Nigerian legal mechanisms (laws, policies, regulations, and institutions) to achieve the international climate change obligations stemming from the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. Key obligations created by these instruments are first to improve renewable energy, second, to reduce GHG emissions in the forest sector, and many others. These obligations from the climate change regime are related to important Sustainable Development Goals such as Goal 7 (energy) and Goal 15 (forest). These obligations are also linked with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (Nigeria NDC) commitments made under the Paris agreement. The Nigeria NDC pledged 45% emission reduction by 2030, and activities to achieve the 45% are centred around renewable energy development and forest improvement. The relationship between the climate change obligations, key Sustainable Development Goals, and the Nigeria NDC create an opportunity for the Nigerian government to achieve key priority areas in the climate change obligations, Nigeria NDC, and related Sustainable Development Goals. Findings of this thesis reveal that there are existing Acts enacted by the Nigerian Parliament, existing policies initiated by the Executive government of Nigeria, and institutions that could help realise these obligations. However, the Acts of the Parliament are restricted to reduce GHG emissions in gas flaring and do not cover other sectors such as coal mining and many others. While the policies may promote renewable energy development as well as reduce emissions in the forest sector. However, the policies are not implemented. Furthermore, there is no collaborative effort amongst the existing institutions to implement and achieve the climate change obligations. This thesis argues that the Nigerian government needs to prioritise emission reduction in the forest sector and increase renewable energy development to fulfil the climate change obligations. Therefore, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies need to collaborate and implement these key obligations, amend, and pass the Climate Change Bill to effect 45% emission reduction targets under the Nigeria NDC.

Citation

Izoukumor, N. Nigeria’s legal responses to climate change obligations. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7856248

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 28, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2022
• Keywords: Climate change, climate change obligations, SDG , NDC
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7856248
• Award Date: Apr 13, 2022