The Nigerian Conservation Foundation and the Ford Foundation will sponsor a delegation of the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance to the forthcoming 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

The conference will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates between November 30 and December 12, 2023.

This is part of efforts to strengthen the voices of civil society organisations on climate justice in Nigeria.

The Director-General, NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, said in a statement that seven members of the Alliance have been selected to attend the COP28.

Mr Onoja recalled that the NCJA was launched in Abuja in July 2023, with the objective to strengthen and raise CSOs’ voices on climate justice in Nigeria through delivering climate actions that benefit the most vulnerable groups in a just and equitable manner.

He said at the COP28, members of the alliance would have the opportunity to meet with world leaders and delegates from around 192 countries who are parties to the convention and hundreds of observation organizations and international governmental organisations.

According to him, COP28 will create an opportunity for their local voices to be heard at a global stage in Dubai where leaders can be held accountable for their national commitment and ask for more ambitious climate commitment.

The DG said that the NCF, as the secretariat of the NCJA, would coordinate, mobilise, support, and provide guidance for the delegation throughout their participation in the conference.

He explained that the NCJA delegation would also attend side events, bilateral meetings, and mentorship fora while championing climate justice campaigns and ensuring that nature is prioritised in the climate negotiations.

“For some of the beneficiaries, it will be their first COP experience and they will be excited for this life-changing experience. This year, COP28 will deliver the final global stock taking after the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015 to assess the impact of the worlds’ climate actions.

“This will provide the opportunity to track how the world is keeping the global average temperatures within limit of 1.5 degrees Centigrade and the call on world leaders to ramp up ambitious commitment.

“Participants are also eager to see the finalisation of the development of the framework of the Loss and Damage Fund, established in Sham El-Sheikh, Egypt,” Mr Onoja said.

He added that as the world anticipates a greater COP28 outcome, it is expected that climate negotiators would adopt multilateralism, unite, and act for a better planet.

(NAN)