A new project to help ensure climate policies are just and gender inclusive was launched today by the Nigerian Ministry of Labour and Environment.

The project is one of the initiatives Nigeria is putting in place in recognition of the fact that climate policies should be evaluated for their job creation and socio-economic growth potential, as well as their expected reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  The project forms the third project within Nigeria’s partnership with the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT).

In its national commitment under the Paris Agreement (in 2015, with an update in 2021), Nigeria recognized the degree to which people were affected by climate change impacts was influenced by their social status, gender, wealth, political power and access to and control over resources. It stated women, youth, and remote communities still had less economic, political and legal influence than, for example, the urban, middle class community. They were more directly impacted and less able to cope with climate impacts. At the same time, mitigation measures could empower these groups that were socio-economically disadvantaged in a differentiated manner. 

The specific objectives of the ICAT project are as follows: 

• To develop a measurement, reporting and verification system to track just and gender inclusive actions, ensuring the system links with the related sectoral measurement, verification and reporting systems implemented by the Ministry of Environment.
• To enable a tripartite cooperation between government, labour and employer associations to achieve a just and gender inclusive transition going forward as Nigeria’s committed contributions to UNFCCC are implemented. 
• To support policymakers in setting up just and gender inclusive MRV systems, while designing a related roadmap to track just transition impacts of climate policies and actions.

Speaking at the inauguration of the project, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Dr. Chris Ngige said the project would adopt a tripartite corporation between government, labour and employer associations to achieve a just and inclusive transition
with the implementation of the Paris agreement.

“The Project will focus on the development of an MRV of a just and gender inclusive transition that will ensure a linkage with the sectorial MRV system and the enhanced transparency framework being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment to achieve synergy,
institutional memory and stakeholder inclusion and cooperation. The overall outcome of the project will support policy makers in delivering a just and gender inclusive roadmap to track the just transition impacts of climate policies and actions going forward especially with the implementation of the Paris Agreement and Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan,” explained the Honourable Minister.

ICAT’s Director, Dr. Henning Wuester, said Nigeria faced a distinct challenge in decreasing its carbon footprint while at the same time safeguarding economic growth and development. 

“Nigeria has proved its dedication to the global fight against climate change, having set ambitious climate goals, both through its NDCs targets by 2030 and through its long-term strategy with a decarbonization objective for 2060. Implementation of these goals must be managed carefully, safeguarding sustainable development goals. If planned well it can actually benefit national development priorities. Transparency is a vital cornerstone in doing so,” Dr. Wuester concluded.