Mr Taiwo Adewole, an environmentalist, recently called on operators in the construction industry to adopt eco-friendly practices and materials in housing construction.

He told our correspondent in Lagos that this would reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment.

“There is urgent need to address the challenges like climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and peak oil before we reach a point of irreversible damage to our life supporting systems.

“These issues are all accelerating rapidly and all have strong links with the building industry,’’ he said.

Adewole said that human activities were responsible for significant amount of air, soil and water pollution as well as millions of tonnes of solid wastes.

“With the declining fossil fuels and the threat of global climate change, reducing our energy consumption is an essential survival strategy by choosing to build green to save energy,’’ he said.

According to Adewole, eco-friendly methods can further reduce energy consumption by minimising energy required for heating, cooling, and lighting.

“Saving energy for the occupant also saves money.

“This is an issue that will become increasingly important as the cost of fossil fuels rises in the near future,’’ he said.

Adewole said that there were good reasons why Nigerians should use eco-friendly construction methods and materials as they could improve the health of our planet and the human health.

“It also supports local business and helps strengthen the local economy, which in turn helps to build our communities into vibrant, prosperous and desirable places to live,’’ he said.

The environmentalist said the government should recognise the urgency of going green by integrating green specifications into building regulations and codes.