Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Samwo-Olu, has clamoured for residents to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as the city’s urban population is expected to reach a 70 percent rise by 2050.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folasade Jaji, said this at the event to commemorate World Habitat Day, 2021, organised by the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, held at Alausa, Ikeja, in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, themed: ‘Accelerating Urban Action for a Carbon-Free World’, the governor said: “Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world is quite in line with the determination to implement decisive climate actions, as major contents of the audacious Smart City initiative of our administration.
“Without doubt, climate change, which is synonymous with high carbon footprint and global warming, remains a major threat to livelihood, security and well-being of the people of the world as we continue to witness, in different magnitude, its effects on agriculture, transportation, economies, as well as lifestyle in general.
“Indeed, the global urban population has spiralled since the mid-20th Century. Between 1950 and today, the population of cities around the world has more than quadrupled with over 4.2 billion people now living in urban centres.
“Over the same period, the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a key indicator of global warming, has risen by over a third, almost entirely due to human activity.
“Today’s cities account for about 75 per cent of the world’s energy consumption and are responsible for over 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“The concern is further heightened as cities and towns are projected to add 2.5 billion people in the next 30 years to increase the proportion of people in urban areas from 55 per cent to nearly 70 per cent by 2050.
“Thus, the way cities are planned, built and managed is key to reducing carbon emissions and keeping global warming within manageable limits, set by the agreement on climate change.
“This is the only world that we know and have; therefore, it is our responsibility to work together as a people and ensure the sustainability of our world for the next generation.”
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, said: “This is a wake-up call for actionable plans and strategies for the achievement of a truly sustainable world for all.”
“It is in furtherance of the theme of the UN-Habitat’s campaign tagged:”Climate “Action 4Cities, which encompassed sustainable urbanisation.
“Let us endeavour to build right for it is what we feed into the mirror that is given back.
Also, the guest speaker, Taiba Lawanson, a Professor of Urban Management and Governance, University of Lagos, stressed the need to jump-start strategies against the reduction of carbon emissions.
