Climate Change Solutions Update

Tag: Nigeria

  • China rolling into U.S. backyard

    Canada is making significant strides in the clean energy transition by focusing on electric vehicles (EVs), with a goal for EVs to make up 90 percent of new car sales by 2040. Africa is experiencing a surge in solar growth, led by countries like South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria. The industry is shifting towards supplier-led climate solutions, with India committing $2.4 billion to scale carbon capture solutions. A breakthrough in sodium-sulfur battery technology has made energy storage cheaper and easier to scale, while investment in next-generation geothermal energy has surpassed $2 billion. Vietnam has launched a $102 million climate finance initiative to protect forests and support climate-smart livelihoods.

    https://speedandscale.com/newsletter/china-rolling-into-u-s-backyard/

  • Nigerian Businesses, RMI, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Collaborate to Empower Women and Youth Through Renewable Technology

    The Energising Women & Youth in Agri-Food Systems Programme (EWAS) in Nigeria, a collaboration between local businesses, RMI, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, aims to empower women and youth through solar-powered technology in the agricultural sector. By providing affordable finance, training, and commercial opportunities, the program seeks to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve incomes for smallholder farmers. With women and youth making up a significant portion of the agricultural workforce and many communities lacking access to reliable power, solar-powered productive use of energy (PUE) technologies offer a pathway to inclusive growth and economic development. The initiative builds on the success of the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP) and will support projects led by Nigerian enterprises deploying PUE solutions in rural and peri-urban communities. A total of 300 solar-powered refrigeration units with lithium-ion batteries are being integrated in Nigeria to help women and youth preserve perishable goods and stabilize income, while also democratizing access to solar energy and improving product quality and market competitiveness for women agriculture entrepreneurs. The EWAS project, part of a broader three-year program led by the Global Energy Alliance and the Mastercard Foundation, aims to create dignified jobs, improve livelihoods, and reduce emissions in Nigeria's agriculture sector, ultimately working towards providing affordable, reliable, clean electricity to improve lives and accelerate green economic opportunities. Through partnerships and community engagement, the initiative aims to reach 1 billion people with clean electricity, prevent 4 billion tons of carbon emissions, and create or improve 150 million jobs, contributing to sustainable development and climate solutions in Nigeria.

    https://rmi.org/press-release/ewas-initiative-to-empower-women-and-youth-through-renewable-technology/

  • Colombia aims to launch fossil fuel transition platform at first global conference

    Colombia is hosting a global conference to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, bringing together countries committed to phasing out coal, oil, and gas. The event aims to create a platform for discussions on legal, economic, and social pathways for a just transition, gaining support from 24 countries, including major fossil fuel producers. The initiative is seen as a necessary complement to the UN climate regime, focusing on developing reports and scientific inputs to support countries in moving towards a fossil fuel-free future. The conference will emphasize justice and aim to create a coalition of governments, institutions, businesses, and philanthropies committed to ending the fossil fuel era, with a practical, supportive, and healing approach. Developing countries like Namibia, Guyana, and Nigeria are seeking international support to envision their own energy transitions.

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/01/22/colombia-aims-to-launch-fossil-fuel-transition-platform-at-first-global-conference/

  • Earth blocks keep homes cool while cutting emissions in Kenya’s drylands

    In Laikipia County, Kenya, the use of compressed earth blocks in housing construction is highlighted as a sustainable and climate-friendly alternative to traditional building materials. Initiatives like the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Initiative and the Belém Call for Action for Sustainable and Affordable Housing are aiming to decarbonize the industry and promote sustainable building practices. The International Coalition for Building Climate Resilience (ICBC) emphasizes the importance of affordable, resource-efficient, low-carbon housing in achieving climate goals and sustainable development. This traditional building approach is gaining renewed attention in low-income communities facing the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat. Additionally, buildings in West Africa, like the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, Nigeria, are being constructed using eco-friendly methods such as compressed earth blocks and rammed earth architecture, offering low-cost and energy-efficient solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings in the region.

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/12/24/earth-blocks-keep-homes-cool-while-cutting-emissions-in-kenyas-drylands/

  • African Nations Promote Locally Produced Solar Panels

    African countries, including Nigeria, are taking steps to lead the renewable energy revolution by investing in local clean energy design labs, research hubs, and manufacturing facilities. Nigeria has signed deals with Chinese manufacturers to build solar panel production factories and is aiming to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by generating 30% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. Companies like Salpha Energy in Nigeria are already manufacturing solar systems and electric products, showcasing Africa's ability to produce and export green technologies. With the help of expertise transfer from Chinese companies, African nations are ramping up production and moving towards a future powered by renewable energy.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2025/11/17/african-nations-promote-locally-produced-solar-panels/

  • Cropped 5 November 2025: Nature finance at COP30; Storms devastate crops; Brazilian deforestation decline

    Key climate-related points from the section include Brazil's announcement of an 11% drop in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, Malaysia and Indonesia updating their climate targets ahead of COP30, and the failure of UN biodiversity negotiations to agree on recommendations for the next major round of discussions. Additionally, Hurricane Melissa caused damage to crops in the Caribbean, while Cyclone Montha affected the agricultural sector in India, leading to significant losses for farmers. Around 1.7 billion people worldwide are living in places where human-driven land degradation is leading to falling crop yields, posing a threat to agricultural productivity and food security. Nigeria approved a new national carbon market framework to unlock up to $3bn annually in carbon finance, reinstated funding for climate change initiatives, and committed to mainstreaming climate action into national development. American pop star Billie Eilish announced a donation of $11.5m from her upcoming tour proceeds to causes dedicated to food equity, climate justice, and reducing carbon pollution. Eel trafficking in Europe, combined with habitat loss, pollution, and the climate crisis, is driving the slippery fish towards extinction. The COP30 UN climate talks in Brazil are focusing on the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) as a new funding mechanism to protect tropical forests. However, concerns have been raised about the fund's design and effectiveness in preserving forests. Brazil is also pushing for increased use of sustainable fuels and the development of biodiversity offsets and carbon credit markets. Despite a deadline for new climate pledges, only a third of countries have submitted them so far. Climate finance experts are concerned that the focus on private sector involvement is weakening official funds for climate solutions at COP30. They argue that addressing root drivers of tropical forest loss, such as changing diets and shifting harmful subsidies, would unlock serious grant money for countries. New science highlights the impact of expanding irrigation on water depletion and the potential climate implications of ammonia emissions from farming. The article also includes information on greenwashing in agriculture, wildlife trafficking, rainforest threats in Nigeria, and life in Sulawesi island.

    https://www.carbonbrief.org/cropped-5-november-2025-nature-finance-at-cop30-storms-devastate-crops-brazilian-deforestation-decline/