Queen Afolabi explans why she distribute noodles, face marks to children - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Queen of Apomuland, Olori Janet Afolabi, has distributed face masks and cartons of noodles to indigent children in Apomu community, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The packages were well distributed to the children in their various suburbs, a development that has received great commendation from their parents and the entire community.

Olori Afolabi assured that the gift package is not a one off exercise, adding that it will be done intermittently.

She pointed out on the reason for reaching out was because of the plight of these children, especially in this season of COVID-19.

Further, she said many families cannot feed their children following the effect of the COVID-19, which has shut down economic activities.

“As we celebrate 2020 children day, we should remember children in need and put a smile on their faces.

“We should give them hope for a greater tomorrow,” she said.

In addition, Olori Afolabi charged parents on their expected roles in keeping their children safe during this pandemic.

Urging parents and caretakers to guide children about regular hand washing and social distancing. 

She equally emphasised on regular preventive messages to reduce the spread of COVID19.

Olori Afolabi also extended the act of kindness to some blind children in Ekiti State, where she donated 100 face masks to Government Special School for the Blind in Ikere Ekiti.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor
 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

35 Medical Postgraduates: Merck Foundation partners African health ministries - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:
Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health, continue their strategy to provide one-year diploma and two-year master degree in both Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Diabetes for medical postgraduates from more than 35 African and Asian countries, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of 100 Most Influential Africans emphasized, “Amidst the pandemic that has rocked the world, we must not forget people living with other health conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension because they are the Coronavirus risk groups therefore Merck Foundation continues to build Hypertension and Diabetes care training to doctors, in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia. Moreover, we also provide training to doctors from Asian countries”.

Merck Foundation has so far enrolled and trained over 183 Medical postgraduates from over 35 countries. As a part of their efforts to build hypertension and diabetes care capacity, Merck Foundation enroll medical postgraduates for One Year Online Diploma and Two Year online master degree in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Diabetes from reputable university in UK. Additionally, they also enroll doctors for a three-month Diabetes Master course from English, French and Portuguese speaking African countries to advance their clinical knowledge in tackling these non-communicable conditions.

Merck Foundation started capacity building of Coronavirus healthcare through providing online one-year diplomas and two year master degree in both Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine from UK University, for African doctors.

Dr. Sofia Jarombwereni Natshikare Nepembe, Merck Foundation alumnus from Namibia says, “I feel fortunate to be a part of this program and receive the Postgraduate one-year Diploma in Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine as part of Merck Foundation capacity advancement program. The course has enabled me to learn the advanced scientific developments for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The course has helped me to serve my patients better. Merck Foundation is doing a great job by providing postgraduate degrees for doctors like me who are eager to specialize to better serve their communities.”

“We are committed to enroll more doctors for these courses to be able to build a platform of hypertension and diabetes experts in underserved communities. These online courses is the right strategy to scale up our efforts to improve access to quality healthcare solutions widely and effectively especially during Coronavirus lockdown”, explained Dr. Rasha Kelej.

The program started in 35 countries such as: Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

COVID-19: Yanmar disinfects city of Indaiatuba - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Yanmar South America has teamed up with John Deere and the local government of Indaiatuba, an important center of industry in the state of Sao Paulo, in an effort to disinfect the streets of the city of the novel coronavirus, to make them safer for citizens.

The City of Indaiatuba carried out the spraying and disinfection of the city’s streets from April 15th to May 8th with Yanmar contributing a Solis 90 CV tractor to assist in the operation. 

Working at night, the tractors sprayed a solution of water and sodium hypochlorite, a chlorine-based bleach, prepared and approved by the city’s health department. Yanmar South America employee Odirlei Silva from the agricultural commercial department operated the tractor.

“We have over 60 years of history in Indaiatuba,” said Yanmar South America President Kenji Kitahara. “This city is home to many of our employees and it’s important for the people of the city that we work closely with City Hall in this time of crisis.”

The response of residents was overwhelmingly positive with many taking to social media to express thanks for the disinfection work.

Mr. Nilson Gaspar, Mayor of the City of Indaiatuba agreed with residents: “Nothing is more important to us than the health and wellbeing of our residents. We’re very pleased that the city has been able to come together with Yanmar and John Deere to carry out this important public service.”

Yanmar will consider further action in the future in line with city health guidelines.

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Pix: A Solis 90 CV tractor disinfects the streets of Indaiatuba, Brazil.

Banks tasks on observing physical distancing directives - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The CLEEN Foundation has task banks in Nigeria on the need to observe physical distancing directives to avoid spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The NGO also  called for disciplinary action against security personnel violating government ban on inter-state movement by extorting citizens to allow movement in and out of states, thereby promoting the spread.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by the Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation, Mr. Benson Olugbuo, decrying the complicity of security operatives who allow interstate movements despite the restrictions have resulted in the increase in infection in the affected states.

Olugbuo expressed concerns that inter-state travel is still on the rise under the watch of these law enforcement agancies.

"In Edo, a trailer conveying 84 travelers from the Northern part of the country were intercepted at Irrua by the state task force, the travelers were taken to Irrua specialist hospital where three (3) of the persons tested positive for COVID-19. In Akwa Ibom state, a truckload of cattle herders was apprehended at Itu LGA (a boundary point between Akwa Ibom and Cross River state) by a Divisional Police Officer. 

"Ogun Waterside LGA of Ogun state that borders Lagos and Ondo states has also remained a key entry point due to the porous nature of both the land and sea borders. This has also led to a high number of COVID-19 infected victims that has been discovered in the LGA. 

"In Ekiti state, reports from border LGAs such as Ikere, Emure, Ekiti South West, Moba, Ekiti West etc indicate that security agents extort money between N200 – N5000 from travelers to allow movement in and out of the state," the report read.

The report recommended that security institutions and their oversight agencies sustain internal and external disciplinary measures to discipline personnel who are guilty of extorting citizens and violating human rights to serve as deterrent to other officers.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Finance: Africa needs to think local - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

African countries may be coming to terms with a bitter reality: that the continent is about to entered major recession in 25 years, reports NaijaAgroNet.

While the impact of the pandemic on African economies is expected to be lesser than in Europe or North America, it still puts to the forefront the continent’s overdependence on key commodities for its economies to function, and under-investment into social infrastructure. For Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic is turning into a wake up call to find better ways to industrialize, chief amongst them being access to reliable, cheap and clean energy. Given global liquidity constraints however, financing Africa’s energy transition and supporting industrialization will require becoming more competitive and finding new ways to mobilize capital across key industries and projects.

The topic was at the center of a leading webinar discussion between Kola Karim, Managing Director and CEO of Shoreline Energy International, Vitol Senior Investment Manager Steven Brann, and Bambili Group Managing Director Nyonga Fofang. The webinar was organized by the African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org) and hosted by Africa Oil & Power.

The key to industrialization in Africa is access to power, which heavily relies on Africa’s ability to get its natural resources right, especially natural gas. Up until now, most of Africa’s gas has been produced for the benefits of foreign markets in Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, where it is shipped as LNG. LNG prices have dropped to historic lows and are currently below the $2 threshold in Europe and Asia, while African power producers still pay above that price to get natural gas in their turbines. Current market prices for natural gas are expected to remain depressed for a while, and should be a strong incentive for African power producers to use LNG as a feedstock and switch their fuel oil or coal plants to LNG which can be easily procured on the continent.

However, proper management of Africa’s natural resources does not stop at switching existing power plants to gas in order to benefit from a cheap and locally-available resource. It rather requires a profound transformation of how African countries see energy and how they plan to power up their economies moving forward.

In doing so, financing will become an even greater challenge as capital becomes scarce and investors look for only very resilient assets to invest in. In that regard, participants noted that it is currently challenging to monetize Africa’s LNG across industries because industrial customers are reluctant to signing the kind of multi-year commitments required by gas producers to raise debt. Because potential industrial users do not know what the future holds and do not get a clear vision on what their country’s energy mix will look like, their reluctance to switch to gas is directly impacting the attractiveness of the sector and has them keep paying expensive energy instead. Similarly, the imports of fuel oil and coal to power industries has become such a habit that making a long-term commitment on developing LNG receiving and processing infrastructure is now a matter of debate.

Participants highlighted the responsibility of both African sovereigns and the private sector in maintaining the continent in that energy status quo. In a post Covid-19 world, a situation in which Africa exports its energy while its people are in the dark, and imports finished products while its youth is unemployed is not longer viable. The industry is calling for a strong sovereign participation on establishing a connection with the private sector and thinking holistically about the development of the continent. While foreign exchange and international capital will continue to be needed, there is an urgent need to energize African communities and neighbors first. Nigeria cannot think of its gas development without keeping in mind the energy needs of its immediate neighbors for example. Similarly, South Africa cannot plan for its energy future without taking in consideration the vast gas reserves of its neighbors. The list of examples goes on.

Africa needs to use the solid base of its natural resources to create opportunities and change the narrative around its industrialization by making a difference in its own energy space. For such a paradigm shift to happen, African sovereigns need to take the lead. Only at the sovereign level can a country raise several billion dollars from multilateral agencies and invest in the necessary projects and infrastructure that will support private sector investment and growth. Only political will can truly unlock the value of African cross-border energy cooperation and open up the doors for a wider African private sector cooperation across industries and within a prosperous free trade continent.

Meanwhile, additional efforts need to be done to mobilize local and patient capital from domestic funds and African family fortunes. Participants concluded on the fact that there is a lot of do-good capital sitting all across the continent, but its mobilization requires the presentation of above-standards bankable projects run by outstanding leadership teams. It is up to African leaders and African private sector executives to put the continent on a new path to prosperity.

Isaac Oyimah/DoP

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

COVID-19 threatens 950 Nigerian children - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

An estimated 950 Nigerian children are currently being threatened by pandemic COVID-19, reports NaijaAgroNet.

In the next six months these children could die of no urgent action is taken as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts routine services and threatens to weaken the health system, reports

As said by the UNICEF, globally, 6,000 additional children under five could die every day.

The estimate is based on an analysis by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, newly published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

In a commentary to the Lancet report, UNICEF warns these disruptions could result in potentially devastating increases in maternal and child deaths. 

The analysis offers three scenarios of the potential impact of COVID-19 in 118 low- and middle-income countries, including Nigeria. In the worst-case scenario, the estimate is that an additional nearly 173,000 under-five deaths could occur in just six months, due to reductions in routine health service coverage levels – including routine vaccinations - and an increase in child wasting.

In Nigeria, these potential child deaths would be in addition to the 475,200 children who already die before their fifth birthday every six months – threatening to reverse a decade of progress in ending preventable under-five child mortality in Nigeria.

About 6,800 more Nigerian maternal deaths could also occur in just six months.

“Under a worst-case scenario, the global number of children dying before their fifth birthdays could increase for the first time in decades,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “We must not let mothers and children become collateral damage in the fight against the virus.”

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative, said, “We have made steady progress in reducing preventable child and maternal deaths in Nigeria over the last 20 years – and it would be devastating if that progress is lost or reversed – devastating for Nigerian families, communities and for the country as a whole.”

The under-five mortality rate has declined gradually over the last two decades in Nigeria - from 213 deaths per thousand in 1990 to 120 today. This is likely due to improved access and coverage of key lifesaving interventions at primary health care and community levels and improved immunization rates.

But in countries with still overall weak health systems, like Nigeria, COVID-19 is causing disruptions in medical supply chains and straining financial and human resources. Visits to health care centres are declining due to lockdowns, curfews and transport disruptions, and as communities remain fearful of infection.

According to the modeling, and assuming reductions in coverage in the worst-case scenario, the 10 countries that could potentially have the largest number of additional child deaths are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.

The 10 countries that are most likely to witness the highest excess child mortality rates under the worst-case scenario are: Djibouti, Eswatini, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Somalia.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

African agro-research gets booster for commercialisation - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), have signed a collaboration agreement that will facilitate joint work towards building a market system for the commercialisation of research products in Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The agreement will also facilitate the improvement of farm productivity through mechanisation to address drudgery and contribute to building an enabling environment for agricultural research and development on the continent.

The MoU will be guided by the core principles and values of the African Union especially the realisation of Agenda 2063.

Specific key areas of the agreement include addressing challenges in production of quality foundation seed, a key area of attention for AATF that is already working with the continent’s small and medium seed enterprises to ease production of quality certified seed.

The two organisations will also focus on strengthening seed certification and variety release policies and processes including development of the private sector, licensing of new agricultural technologies and technology stewardship for sustainable use of agricultural innovations and products.

The MoU, signed by Dr Denis T. Kyetere, Executive Director of the AATF and Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD, will ensure that both organisations identify flagship projects from the key areas of cooperation to effectively achieve the intended goals.

Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, welcomed the collaboration saying it would contribute to accelerating Africa’s agricultural transformation.

“As articulated in Agenda 2063, Africa’s sustained growth, competitiveness and economic transformation requires sustained investment in new technologies and continuous innovation in areas such as agriculture, clean energy, education and health. This agreement will help contribute to this goal,” said Dr Mayaki.

Dr Denis Kyetere said the collaboration provides opportunity for the smallholder farmers to benefit from innovative and value adding agricultural technologies.

“With the smallholder farmer at the centre of decision making, AATF emphasises the need to get innovations to farmers rapidly and effectively to optimise benefits,” said Dr Kyetere, adding that the agreement would also facilitate replication of mechanisation business models in more African countries as part of transformative agriculture development.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

NLNG consummates EPC contracts for Train 7 with J Consortium - NaijaAgroNet

Breaking@NaijaAgroNet:

The Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has consummated the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contracts for its Train 7 Project with the SCD JV Consortium, comprising affiliates of Saipem, Chiyoda and Daewoo, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The execution of the EPC Contracts now triggers the commencement of the Detail Design and Construction phase of the Project expected to increase the capacity of NLNG’s current six-train plant by 35% from the extant 22 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) to 30 MTPA.

NLNG is an incorporated Joint-Venture owned by four Shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Shell Gas B.V. (25.6%), Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15%), and Eni International N.A. N.V. S.àr.l (10.4%).

Reacting to the Contracts’ signing, Engr. Tony Attah, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, remarked that the EPC Contracts represents yet another milestone in NLNG’s journey towards achieving its vision of being a global LNG company, helping to build a better Nigeria.

“With the award of the EPC Contracts to our preferred bidders (SCD JV), we are guaranteeing that our country remains significantly on the global list of LNG suppliers. This singular act clearly demonstrates our Shareholders’ determination and resolve to sustain the economic dividends that NLNG’s monetization of our vast natural gas reserves offers our great country Nigeria”

He expressed confidence in SCD JV Consortium’s proven competence, adding that the demonstration of an understanding of NLNG’s business philosophy by the Consortium will positively influence the execution of the Project and ensure zero harm to people, environment and host communities.

Also, the Group Managing Director (NNPC) and a Director on the NLNG Board, Mr. Mele Kyari, remarked on NLNG’s successes and its operating model. He said: “Nigeria LNG’s successes since it started operation in 1999 continue to prove that the Company operates a unique business model that is profitable to all its stakeholders. NNPC and the other Shareholders — Shell, Total and Eni — are proud to be a part of this exceptional Nigerian brand that stands out in the global market.”

“It is for this reason that our President, Muhammadu Buhari instructed through the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources that NNPC as a Shareholder must do everything possible to support all the other Shareholders and NLNG’s Management to secure the much-needed public confidence from all critical stakeholders, especially the critical agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria and international investors, to pursue the Company’s ambition of adding a 7th train to its existing production capacity. I encourage every stakeholder involved in execution of the Train 7 Project, especially the SCD JV Consortium, NLNG Train 7 Project Team and the Company’s Management to leave no stone unturned in making this project a reality,” he added.

NLNG says the Project was in fulfillment of its vision of “…being a Global Company, helping to build a better Nigeria.” The Project upon completion will support the Federal Government’s drive to generate more revenue from Nigeria’s proven gas reserves of about 200 Trillion Cubic Feet (Tcf) and further reduce gas flaring in the country’s upstream oil and gas industry.

The construction period is expected to last approximately five years with first LNG rundown expected in 2025.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

 ... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

African leaders demand action to save additional lives from malaria - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The African members of the End Malaria Council have released a joint statement with a four-pronged action plan, calling on African and global leaders to act quickly to protect the decades of gains against malaria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

They also reminded global leaders on the need to boost African purchasing power and local manufacturing of critical medical supplies; continue investments in building an essential health workforce; and, use data to maximize limited resources to save lives.

The End Malaria Council is a committed group of global public sector and business leaders that sees malaria eradication as a critical health and development priority and that drives progress toward eradication by focusing on three key areas: leadership, financing and technology. The signatories of the statement are:
H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya and Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance
H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania
H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia
Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group
Graça Machel, Founder, The Graça Machel Trust and Foundation for Community Development

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners recently published a modelling study which shows that deaths from malaria could double in 2020 if access to life-saving malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment services are disrupted. This finding becomes especially concerning as we reach the rainy season in the highest malaria endemic countries across Africa and in India.

“I am committed to working with fellow heads of state and government on a coordinated and harmonized response to COVID-19 that stamps out this pandemic while continuing to provide essential health services to our citizens. Nothing is more important than protecting our women, children and men from preventable and treatable diseases like malaria. These efforts will help us to sustain the significant gains that we have made driving down malaria cases and deaths over the past twenty years.” – H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta is the President of Kenya, the Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance and a member of the End Malaria Council.

“To fight COVID-19 effectively and ensure hard-won gains in malaria are not lost, African nations must strengthen essential regional partnerships to develop coordinated and collaborative approaches to support public health systems.” – H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania was the founding Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. Currently President Kikwete is an ambassador and advocate for regional approaches to health and development on the African continent and a member of the End Malaria Council.

“Prioritizing frontline health worker safety is a critical investment in the COVID-19 response that will provide short- and long-term benefits. Ensuring these health workers are equipped with the necessary protective equipment, diagnostics and data tools will protect health workers and empower them to interrupt the virus while maintaining life-saving services against existing diseases like malaria.” – H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was President of Liberia during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 is the former Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. Currently President Sirleaf is the World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Health Workforce and a member of the End Malaria Council.

“African governments face challenging resource constraints as they seek to control and respond to COVID-19 but must avoid diverting funds from essential health campaigns that protect the most vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women. By prioritizing the mobilization of new funding to combat the pandemic, African nations can address the needs of the pandemic without interrupting vital delivery of other life-saving health programs.” – Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, created a private sector coalition to support Nigeria’s COVID-19 response that has mobilized over 25 billion Naira. He is a member of the End Malaria Council.

“Pregnant women and young children are among the most vulnerable to infectious diseases, including malaria. It is imperative that we African leaders ramp up our work to sustain safe access to essential health services during this pandemic to support our communities and protect the lives of Africa’s future.” – Graça Machel, Founder, The Graça Machel Trust and the Foundation for Community Development and a member of the End Malaria Council.

Uj. N. Dominc/Editor

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Global Renewables Outlook shows millions of new jobs - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet: 

The Global Renewables Outlook has shown that the path to create a sustainable future energy system would create some 42 million new jobs globally, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This flagship report, NaijaAgroNet gathered, highlighted climate-safe investment options until 2050, the policy framework needed for the transition and the challenges faced by different regions.

As the world seeks durable economic solutions, accelerated uptake of renewables promises to drive sustainable development, boost well-being and create tens of millions of new jobs.

This comprehensive analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) outlines the investments and technologies needed to decarbonise the energy system in line with the Paris Agreement. It also explores deeper decarbonisation options for the hardest sectors, aiming to eventually cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to zero.

Raising regional and country-level ambitions will be crucial to meet interlinked energy and climate objectives. The report presents findings on the specific transition prospects for ten regions around the world. Comprehensive policies could tackle energy and climate goals alongside socio-economic challenges, fostering the transformative decarbonisation of societies.
NaijaAgroNet equally gathered that among other findings include that "Energy-related CO2 emissions have risen by 1% per year on average since 2010. While the health crisis and oil price slump may suppress emissions in 2020, a rebound would restore the long-term trend.

"The transition to renewables, efficiency and electrification can drive broad socio-economic development. The outlook’s Transforming Energy Scenario aligns energy investments with the need to keep global warming “well below 2oC”, in line with the Paris Agreement.

"Jobs in renewables would reach 42 million globally by 2050, four times their current level, through the increased focus of investments on renewables. Energy efficiency measures would create 21 million and system flexibility 15 million additional jobs.

The last portion of CO2 emissions will be the hardest and most expensive to eliminate. The outlook’s Deeper Decarbonisation Perspective highlights the need for innovative technologies, business models and behavioural adaptation to reach zero emissions.

Decarbonising energy use in time to avert catastrophic climate change requires intensified international co-operation. With the need for emission reductions unchanged, clean energy investments can safeguard against short-sighted decisions and the accumulation of stranded assets.

Recovery measures following the COVID-19 pandemic could include flexible power grids, efficiency solutions, electric vehicle charging, energy storage, interconnected hydropower, green hydrogen and other technology investments consistent with long-term energy and climate sustainability.

Technologies consistent with long-term climate sustainability include flexible power grids, efficiency solutions, electric vehicle charging, energy storage, interconnected hydropower, green hydrogen and other technology investments consistent with long-term energy and climate sustainability.

Socio-economic measures to maximise the benefits of the energy transition include industrial policies, labour market interventions, educational and skills development and social protection programmes.

 
Decarbonising energy use in time to avert catastrophic climate change requires intensified international co-operation, financial mobilisation, strengthened institutions, and broad policy cohesion. With the need for emission reductions unchanged, clean energy investments can safeguard against short-sighted decisions and the accumulation of stranded assets.

As governments respond to the COVID-19 crisis, they need to work together towards a Global Green Deal, recognise the advantages of renewables and efficiency, ensure a just transition for everyone, and pave the way for a clean, low-carbon global economy.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology