Governor Adeleke approves climate action plan for Osun on World Environment Day
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has granted approval for the implementation of the State Climate Action Plan, aimed at addressing the increasing challenges posed by climate change.
Furthermore, the governor gave his approval for the immediate establishment of a department focused on climate change within the Ministry of Environment. This department will be dedicated to addressing the issue of climate change proactively. Additionally, the Governor's Climate Advisory Council was inaugurated with the responsibility of coordinating the state government's policy on climate change.
During the 2023 World Environmental Day event held at the Local Government Service Commission in Osogbo, the Chairman of the Advisory Council, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, unveiled the state government's agenda for change. He emphasized that the agenda aims to minimize the risks and vulnerability associated with climate change, enhance resilience, improve well-being, and develop the capacity to anticipate and effectively respond to change.
The agenda includes the establishment of a dedicated Department of Climate Change and the renaming of the Ministry to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. These two approvals signify the state's strong commitment to climate goals and aim to elevate the standards in addressing climate-related challenges.
The ultimate objective of the Osun Climate Action Act is to convert the climate policy plan into legislation through the State Assembly. This will provide legal backing to the climate goals in various sectors.
Additionally, the Act will facilitate the establishment of a Climate Carbon Data Research unit at Osun State University. This unit will serve as a repository of carbon credit resources in the state, enabling effective engagement in the field of carbon credit and climate finance.
The Governor of Osun State has taken decisive steps towards empowering sub-national entities to play an active and leading role in combatting climate change and protecting the planet. This includes the establishment of a State Climate Action Plan, making Osun the second state in the country, after Lagos State, to have such a plan.
Furthermore, during his address read by the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, the governor instructed the Ministry of Environment to develop a comprehensive action plan within three months to address the issue of plastic pollution in the state. The plan should incorporate both local and international best practices, as well as an implementation strategy with measurable outcomes.
"The action plan must be prepared within the next three months to ensure its implementation can commence in the final quarter of this year. By the time we celebrate World Environment Day in 2024, Osun State should have achieved significant milestones in our collective endeavors to effectively combat plastic pollution.
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