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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Environmentalists in Nigeria have advovated the need for an urgent reduction in emission footprints to curb current global environment and economict crisis.
The environmentalists said it has become imperative to change the present statutory by both the government and private sector in a bid to ensure a safety environment as well as healthy well-being of the citizens.
The stakeholders, who made the call in Calabar at the sixth edition of the Africa Cleanup Conference with the theme: “The People, The Planet, The Green and Circular Economy” said there arw lots of benefits deriveable from moving from a linear economy to circular economy.
Speaking on the topic, “Existing Rationship Between Green Economy and Circular Economy: Leveraging on Opportunities for Growth and Expansion”, an environmentalists, Mr Chidiebere Emmanuel, explained that the present economy of take-make-use-dispose was no longer sustainable as the economy have become so large when compared to the natural ecosystem.
Pointing out that Green and Circular economy is the way to out, Emmaunel said the impact of COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of the relationship between man and nature.
He noted that nature was in crisis and thus placing human and planetary health at risk.
“It reminds us that the profound consequences to our well-being and survival that can result from continued biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem.
“It also reflects the fact that the risk of emergence and spread of infectious diseases increases as nature is destroyed.
“Therefore, there os need for changes that would ensure the well-being and economic prosperity of the present a future generations in a healthy environment was needed.
“That change is Green Economy, one that can generate growth and improvements in the people lives in ways consistent with sustainable development.
“Green economic is now seen as a potential solution to the current global environment and economic crisis and a potention mechanism by which sustainable development might be achieved,” he explained
Similarly, Ms Temitope Dosumu, Commercial Manager of Geocycle, a subsidiary of Lafarge Africa Pls, said there are numerous inherent benefits of waste recycling.
Dosumu who spoke on the topic,”Circular Economy: Managing Waste Through Co-Processing”, said of the 58 million tons of waste generated annually, 90 percent of it are not properly dumped and thereby causing environmental challenges.
According to her, “Geocycle manages more than 10 million tons of wastes annually thus making a tangible contribution to bringing society a step closer to a zero-waste future.”
She listed part of the inherent benefits of waste recycling to be to include job creation, technological development, safer environment among others.
In his submission, Dr Ola Oresanya, who spoke on the topic, “The Role of Government in Driving Green and Circular Economy”, advocated for the private sector to be the driver of the process, adding that
government can’t be the regulator and driver of the process.
