Buhari leaves for ‘One Planet Summit’ in Paris Tuesday

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart for France to participate alongside over 50 world leaders in the One Planet Summit in Paris, France on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, in Abuja, on Sunday, the summit, jointly organised by the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the French Government in partnership with non-governmental organisations concerned about reversing the negative effects of climate change, like Bloomberg Philanthropies, holds at the eco-friendly La Seine Musicale, situated on the picturesque Seguin Island in western Paris.

It said the main focus of the summit, with the theme, “Climate Change Financing,”  will be to innovatively pool public and private finance “to support and accelerate our common efforts to fight climate change.”

While recognising that all countries are affected by the effects of climate change under “One Planet” but some are more vulnerable, the summit seeks for tangible collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The statement revealed that before heading for the Summit venue, the president will attend a lunch hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France for Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.

President Buhari and other world leaders and participants will make presentations under four sub-themes namely: Scaling-up Finance for Climate Action; Greening Finance for Sustainable Business; Accelerating Local and Regional Climate Action, and Strengthening Policies for Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

The statement recalled that while signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the sidelines of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2016, President Buhari had said it “demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to global efforts to reverse the effects of the negative trend.”

According to the presidency, “he followed that significant step” by signing the Instrument of Ratification of the Paris Agreement on March 28, 2017, at the State House, Abuja, making Nigeria the 146th party to the Paris Treaty. It became binding on the country effective June 15, 2017, one month after the submission of the Ratification instrument to the United Nations on May 16, 2017, by Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.

The participation of Nigeria’s delegation at the One Planet Summit will reinforce the country’s commitment to realising the objectives of the Paris Agreement, it said, adding that the president, who will depart for Paris on Monday, accompanied by the governors of Adamawa, Kano and Ondo States, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environment, will return to Abuja on Thursday.