The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has said the industry is under pressure to reduce emission as the world increasingly focus on climate change.
He stated this on Tuesday while receiving members of the house of representatives committee on climate change who paid him courtesy visit in Abuja.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said the nation’s aviation sector must reduce it’s carbon footprint and adopt sustainable practices.
“As you all know, the aviation sector globally is recognized as one of the contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and Nigeria is no exception.
Our growing aviation industry must balance the need for development with the imperative to reduce its carbon footprint and adopt sustainable practices. As the world increasingly focuses on climate change, the aviation sector is under pressure to innovate, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce emissions,” he said.
Keyamo who assured that Nigeria would play it’s role to tackle climate change, said agencies under the ministry are already working to reduce the impact of Climate Change.
“Nigeria, as a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is committed to playing its part in global efforts to combat climate change. We are aligned with the Paris Agreement and ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which sets ambitious targets for the aviation sector to mitigate its environmental impact.
“Agencies under the Ministry are working assiduously on several initiatives to reduce and mitigate the impact of Climate Change. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) addresses climate change by producing seasonal climate predictions and partnering with other agencies to promote climate action.
“In the same vein, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is one of the global airport operators that is voluntarily participating in the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme which is the only internationally recognized programme that provides a framework for measuring, reporting and managing emissions of Greenhouse gases (GHG) from airports globally,”.
He disclosed that as a result of this, “the carbon footprint for MMIA Lagos was reduced by 6% in 2021 due to improved energy management, earning the airport a Level 2 ACA accreditation (Reduction). In addition, there are ongoing plans to achieve Level 3 (optimisation) accreditation for Lagos and Level 1 (mapping) accreditation for Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt airports this year,”.
“Furthermore, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is actively addressing climate change and aviation environmental protection through its commitment to the ICAO CORSIA initiative and the submission of the State Action Plan (SAP) on CO2 emission reduction. The development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and cleaner energies are other initiatives in collaboration with the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC),” he said.
Keyamo said the Ministry recognizes the importance of collaborating with the Committee to implement policies that address Climate Change and environmental sustainability.
“we hope to achieve a unified approach to climate change, policy advancements, public and private sector synergy and global leadership…The aviation industry has a vital role to play in achieving a sustainable future, and through collaboration with the House Committee on Climate Change, we can ensure that Nigeria’s aviation sector leads by example in adopting green technologies and practices,” he said.
