Loss and damage fund, over 600 flood deaths…. top climate stories of 2022

From developing countries securing the needed loss and damage fund to Nigeria recording its worst floods in decades, 2022 can be said to be a year of milestones and significant events when it comes to climate change.

Whether in terms of response or impact, issues of climate change reverberated around the world and got previously uninterested people interested.

As 2023 comes into view, there is so much more to look forward to in the world’s efforts to tackle climate change but here are some of the major issues that shaped the climate conversations this year. 

LOSS AND DAMAGE FUND, BIG WIN OF COP27

The UN climate change conference (COP27) was held in Egypt this year. Tagged the ‘implementation COP’, the conference was widely referred to as the African COP. However, things looked gloomy on the last day of the conference as delegates left the venue feeling unsatisfied. This was because the loss and damage fund – the one thing Africa alongside other developed countries desperately needed – had not succeeded as expected. But to the surprise of many, after nearly 48 hours of overtime, countries agreed to set up the loss and damage fund. This was considered a big win for COP27. 

 OVER 600 DEATHS FROM NIGERIA’S WORST FLOOD IN DECADES 

In what is considered Nigeria’s worst floods in decades, over 600 persons lost their lives in 2022. Up to 33 states in the country were affected by the flood following heavy rainfall across communities and the opening of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. Among other things, the devastation affected up to 2.5 million persons,  led to the destruction of over 300,000 hectares of farmlands; and destroyed transport infrastructure worth N80 billion.  

ALMOST 1000 KILLED IN PAKISTAN FLOODS

Just like Nigeria, Pakistan was not spared by the floods in 2022, as the country recorded almost 1000 deaths from heavy monsoon rains.  It subsequently declared a national emergency and called for international help as the death toll from months of flooding continued to rise. President  Muhammadu Buhari joined other world leaders in extending his condolence to the country over the devastation. He also called on the UN and other aid agencies to assist the millions of people who require urgent humanitarian relief.

BUHARI APPOINTS PIONEER DG FOR CLIMATE CHANGE COUNCIL

Months after signing the climate change bill into law, there was no follow-up action from President Muhammadu Buhari on plans to operationalise the climate change council. This led to campaigns by civil society organisations requesting the president to implement the part of the law that provides for the establishment of the council. A few days before the end of July, Buhari appointed Salisu Dahiru, as the pioneer director general (DG) and chief executive officer (CEO), of the national council on climate change. Shortly after, the president also inaugurated the council, bringing it into full force. 

NIGERIA LAUNCHES ENERGY TRANSITION PLAN

In 2022, the federal government launched the energy transition plan, as a major pathway for Nigeria to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and a carbon-neutral economy by 2060. Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo said the plan will help tackle energy poverty, and climate change crises, as well as deliver access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy in line with SDG 7. Osinbajo added that it will also lift 100 million people out of poverty, reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint, drive economic growth and create jobs. 

FINLAND RESEARCHERS INSTALL FIRST SAND BATTERY FOR STORING CLEAN ENERGY

Two researchers from Finland installed a fully working “sand battery”, which can store power from renewable energy sources. The innovation by Markku Ylönen and Tommi Erone is intended to cater for a year-round supply of renewable energy such as solar and wind. This is due to the capacity of the sand battery to store heat up to 500 C. 

US SENATE PASSES INFLATION REDUCTION BILL INTO LAW

Also, in 2022, the United States senate passed the inflation reduction bill into law. The Act, which US President Joe Biden is most proud of, aims to reduce the country’s emissions by 40 percent. The $430bn Act intends to also lower drug prices and raise some corporate taxes. The Act will also be instrumental in tackling climate change, increasing investments in renewable energy, as well as offering tax breaks to consumers as incentives to go green.

SCIENTISTS MAKE NEW BREAKTHROUGH WITH CLEAN ENERGY 

This year, US scientists reached a major milestone when they recreated nuclear fusion – a reaction that powers the sun and all other stars – for a “near-limitless” clean energy. Although this innovation is still in its early stages, it is said to have brought the world a step closer to a fusion-powered future. It also has the potential to end the use of fossil fuels and tackle climate change.

OVER 600 OIL AND GAS LOBBYISTS ATTENDED COP27

There was public criticism following the news that over 600 fossil fuel lobbyists were in attendance at COP27 in Egypt. The revelation came from research released by human rights groups, showing that delegates from some of the world’s biggest oil and gas firms were registered and in attendance at the conference. This represents an increase of over 100  delegates compared to the figure recorded in 2021. The development made delegates from civil society question the conference’s genuineness in moving the climate conversations forward.  

UN APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE SECRETARY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE SECRETARIAT

In July, Patricia Espinosa, a Mexican diplomat, stepped down as the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after six years of heading the secretariat. A couple of contenders were nominated for the position including Sharon Ikeazor, Nigeria’s former minister of state for the environment. However, in August, António Guterres, UN secretary-general, announced Simon Stiell, as the new executive secretary of the secretariat based in Bonn, Germany.