All Mere Facade? European Climate Policy from the Perspective of Nigeria’s Vice President
From Prof. Radermacher’s perspective, national climate policies alone are not effective. For this reason, he recommends looking beyond the German or European horizon and listening to what other heads of state, for example in Africa, have to say. Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, shared his views on the climate policies of wealthy nations in The Economist. His assessment invites reflection and reconsideration.
The focus is on energy – not simply lighting homes, but access to global energy, which is seen as essential for industry and progress. Nigeria’s growing population will also mean that by 2050, the country will require 15 times the energy currently needed. To meet this demand without harming the climate, wealthy nations call for exclusive reliance on renewable energy. However, achieving this without the support of the very nations making these demands is extremely difficult.
Osinbajo calls for support for Nigeria in areas such as renewable energy generation projects, data management systems, storage capacity, electric vehicles, and clean cooking solutions. At the same time, he argues that financing for fossil fuels in developing countries should not be entirely prohibited, since Europe itself continues to invest in gas.
You can read the full article recommended by Prof. Radermacher here.
Image source: Wikimedia, Tope A. Asokere (Pexels)
