INTERROGATING THE PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders. It is an issue that requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels. To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the UN climate change conference (COP21) in Paris reached a consensus on December 12^th, 2015 which lead to the historic “Paris Agreement”. The terms of the agreement sets long-term goals to guide all nations to substantially reduce global greenhouse   gas emissions in order to sustain  global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels  and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels so as to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Bayelsa State aligning with these terms, domesticated the Paris Climate Agreement. On this premise, the study interrogated the extent to which this agreement was adapted and implemented in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study employed a phenomenological research design, with the utilization of in-depth personal interview. The target population was Bayelsa state, the sample size specifically comprised of 4 key informants that were interviewed from the Ministry of environment, Bayelsa State. The findings of the study showed that the implementation of the Paris climate change agreement faced challenges in Bayelsa State, such as widespread ignorance due to inadequate awareness programs, especially among the uneducated population. It found that limited financial resources hindered efforts to combat climate change, such as tree planting and emissions measurement. Further findings highlighted the lack of political will on the part of governments commitment to address climate change issues effectively. It was discovered that Climate change disproportionately affected impoverished communities in the Niger Delta, exacerbating their vulnerability due to dependence on natural resources and limited capacity to adapt. The study therefore recommended that government should invest in greater awareness programs to the public, intensify efforts towards financial resources and poverty alleviation in addressing climate change, also to sponsor private initiatives, researches and attendance at  COP conferences all in a bid to enhance the effectiveness of the Paris agreement in Bayelsa State.