Leading experts and stakeholders in international law have called for the urgent development of clear and comprehensive policies on inclusive green growth, in order to ensure progress in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria and beyond.
This recommendation was made at the International Conference on Environmental Law, Governance and Sustainable Development, organized by the Nigerian branch of the International Law Association (ILA), in partnership with the Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development (OGEES Institute), Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), and the Green Institute, Nigeria, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first global environmental conference held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972.
Themed “Climate Change, Energy Transition and Looking Beyond the Earth’s Future: The Role of Stakeholders in Sustaining International Environmental Rule of Law,” the conference featured three keynote lectures from global sustainability experts, namely Professor Nilufer Oral, a member of the United Nations International Law Commission; Professor Patricia Kameri-Mbote, SC, EBS, the Director of the Law Division of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); and Professor David Boyd, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment. The keynote lectures were followed by high-level panel discussions featuring notable experts including the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan; Dr. Markus Gehring, Director, Centre for European Legal Studies (CELS), University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, Director of the Green Institute; Dr. Jason McSparren, the Vice President of the Green Institute; and Dr. Emem Anwana, Research Coordinator, Durban University of Technology, South Africa amongst other expert panelists. The highpoint of the conference was an insightful green debate contest between students of the University of Benin and ABUAD.
While opening the conference, the Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, who is also Global Vice Chair of the International Law Association, Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi, SAN said “This year’s conference is a timely wake up call for stakeholders, especially leaders in business, government, academic, economic, and financial spheres, to sharpen their understanding of the contours of policy reforms needed to accelerate safe, orderly, and inclusive low-carbon transition and green growth. The way forward is to integrate green growth norms into all aspects of decision making, financial planning and project due diligence. This will include dismantling barriers to gender justice, empowering regulatory agencies to better perform their oversight functions, and promoting a strong business and human rights culture in all key economic sectors.”