SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Most Nigerian residents still rely on diesel and petrol powered generators to complement the unstable energy they get from the national grid. However, there is a surging demand for standalone solar solutions, how will Nigeria handle the potential toxic lead-acid battery waste from solar products? This article tries to find out.

Geoengineering technologies are not yet deployable globally, but support for them is advancing fast, thanks to backing by powerful advocates eager to start experiments. But no silver bullet for climate change exists, and we must not abandon proven methods for the sake of a promise that one will be found

In Nigeria, mass transit systems are chaotic and in many places non-existent; no Nigerian city has an intra-city rail system and only Lagos has a bus rapid transport scheme. Commuters have to rely on small buses (most of which are old and creaking), taxis and auto rickshaws or tricycles (popularly called keke).

Jigawa State is losing over 300 trees a day for bakery activities alone: 1 tree is fired per bakery per day to bake the ubiquitous bread, which has become the staple food for many Nigerians on low incomes. With more efficient bakery ovens, this loss could be reduced by 80 per cent, and the bakers would save money on their fire wood as well. Renewable Energy entrepreneurs Hannah Kabir and Happy Amos have installed 3 such ovens in Jigawa State, as pilot cases.

Globally, political leaders are lauding the acceptance of the global and legally binding Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP 21 as a historical moment. It achieves a goal long believed unattainable. However, judged against the enormity of the challenge and the needs and pressure from people on the ground demanding a global deal anchored in climate justice (“system change, not climate change!”), the Paris Agreement can only be called a collective failure and disappointment. Read a critical assessment by hbs colleagues from around the world.

As world leaders are debating global solutions to climate change, ordinary Nigerians await concrete measures that would cushion the effects of climate change on their environment. The Heinrich Böll Foundation asked Nigerians to tell their own, local stories about how climate change affects them. From the 38 entries submitted to the competition in November 2015, two winners emerged: Doreen Nlekwa from Port Harcourt and Daniel Akinjise from Lagos.

O’Seun Williams from Lokoja, Kogi State sent in this entry, a story on flooding at the confluence of the Rivers Niger and Benue set in his hometown and the damage it causes. He also talks about how small actions end up causing big effects in terms of flooding and the contributions of climate change.

How much coal should Nigeria burn to increase electricity supplies for the country? Is coal economically viable, and what health hazards does it bring to Nigerians? The Nigeria Coal Atlas has relevant facts & figures from domestic and international sources.

Outside the traditional coal areas in Eastern Nigeria, coal is also found in Kogi State. Okobo, a small town in Enjema District of Ankpa Local Government Area, has reserves of up to 380 million tonnes of coal. Abiodun Baiyewu-Teru, Executive Director at Global Rights Nigeria, describes the human rights perspective of coal mining in Nigeria.

Coal is one of the dirtiest industries in Russia. Apart from hydropower, renewable energy is practically non-existent. Civil society groups that might push for more sustainable sources of power are few and far between. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

Change is under way for the world’s biggest coal consumer; consumption in 2014 was down. Renewables are up. Coal-fired power plants are working at less than full capacity. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

The US coal industry is losing market share to gas and renewables. The nation’s dirtiest fuel is giving way to cleaner alternatives. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

Coal is an important part of India’s energy mix, and consumption is rising quickly as the economy expands. Local production is not enough: strong demand is attracting imports from Australia and elsewhere. However, India has huge potential for renewable energy, especially solar and windpower. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

Digging mines, building power plants and providing infrastructure cost billions. Many countries cannot afford the investments; credit agencies and multilateral and private banks are glad to step in.

Germany is phasing out nuclear power and has come to rely more on coal for its electricity. Despite a steep rise in renewable energy, the use of coal is endangering Germany’s ambitious target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Wherever climate and energy negotiations take place, the coal industry wants to have their say. They often succeed. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.