By Chioma Obinagwam
Senior adviser on energy and climate change policy with the United Kingdom (UK) Government, Dr. Olu Fasan has advised the Nigerian government to have a mental shift if they must win the battle over climate change.
The pundit made this known to Confiance News during a virtual session tagged “Fireside chat with Prof. Olu Fasan on Energy and Climate Change policies in Nigeria” organised by FC4S Lagos.
“We need to inform those in government that there needs to be a mental shift. Those in government should move away from fossil fuel,” he said.
“If we don’t make that shift, it is going to be dramatic in years to come,” he added.
He defined Climate Change as rising global temperature.
He explained that climate change, which is caused by carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels wreck havoc such as heatwaves, desertification, flood, among others.
Dr. Fasan frowned at the manner in which the government is tackling the issue, stating that government is paying lip service to it.
“The policies that are on ground are not fully implemented. The policies are not ambitious enough,” he noted.
He pointed that there is need to move away from fossil fuels to renewables.
He noted that the way to deal with climate change is by decarbonising the economy.
“You cannot have a carbon intensive economy and expect to deal with climate change,” he said.
Dr. Fasan disclosed that energy contributes to 60 percent of Nigeria’s emissions.
He further urged government to shift subsidy from fossil fuels to renewables.
“If energy is contributing 60 percent to emissions, how are we decarbonising? Why are we subsidising fossil fuels? You do not subsidise what you want to discourage.
“You cannot be subsidising fossil fuels and at the same talk about decarbonising it.
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