Environment
Climate Change Joins US-China Dialogue
The world’s two largest generators of carbon emissions added climate change as a major discussion point for the first time with the opening of another round of U.S.-China talks.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on his own country and China – the world’s largest economies – to meet the “responsibility” of leading the way for the rest of the world in such matters.
“How will we curb climate change?” Kerry asked. “How will we pioneer new energy technology, which is, in fact, the response to climate change? Energy policy is the solution to climate change.”
Kerry, along with U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi led the discussion group on climate change, which topped the agenda.
The economic rivals have been at loggerheads for years over reducing emissions.
China produces 23.5 per cent of world emissions blamed for global warming, while the U.S. produces 18.3 per cent, according to UN estimates.
Due to its status as an industrialising economy, China was exempt from emission controls under the expiring Kyoto Protocol, and the U.S. has argued that it cannot commit to reductions until fast-growing China does the same.
In June, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in California, where they agreed to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons, which contributes to the greenhouse effect and are used in refrigerators, air conditioners and industrial equipment.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the first speaker, said he understood China’s desire to “be involved in international rule-setting” but noted that Beijing is “wary about taking additional international burdens on”.
“Ultimately, the two go hand in hand, because in 2013, the world’s environment, a rule-based economic order, cannot sustain an exception of the size of China,” Biden admonished. “Your country is simply too immense and too important.”
The Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which mark the fifth round of such meetings, and will include economic, trade, energy and other issues.
Writing recently in the Washington Post, Yang noted the massive increase in passenger traffic and trade between the two countries, and said that the two presidents were blazing “a new trail that is different from the traditional path of conflict.”
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.
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