Nigeria has raised its conditional emission reduction targets from 45 percent to 47 percent in the updated National Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Mahmood Ahubakar, minister of environment, made this known during the submission of the final report to meet the UN body’s cut-off deadline on Friday.

After ratifying the Paris agreement in 2017, Nigeria pledged to cut emissions conditionally —with international support — by 45 percent and unconditionally — without international support — by 20 percent by 2030.

However in its recently submitted NDC, Nigeria has made an additional two percent commitment making it 47 percent emission reduction if supported by developed countries.

The updated report, which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, replaces the interim NDC report that was submitted in May 2021.

During the submission, Abubakar said that the increased target shows Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

He said the updated NDC has also added emission reduction from the waste sector which was previously not there.

“This submitted updated NDC communicated that Nigeria has raised its ambition by including emission reduction from the waste sector as a new sector in the NDC,” he said.

“Nigeria has increased its conditional contribution from 45% to 47% while retaining the unconditional target of 20%.

“Hence the updated NDC has an unconditional target of 20% below business-as-usual by 2030 and 47% conditional contribution on international support.”

The minister said the timely submission of the updated report will ensure its inclusion in a synthesis report that will be issued later this year, ahead of COP26 slated to hold in Glasgow, United Kingdom.