INDEED, one of the first opportunity that was taken at the inception of this international exchange was the partnership between Delta State and UNDP on Territorial Action on Climate Change, TACC; TACC enables UNDP partner with a territory to adopt strategies to combat climate change. That work is on-going. We are also at the definition of project specific engagements for the state.

It should also be said that one of our outstanding successes in our partnership with California and Schwarzenegger is the commitment we received from Chevron oil company to commit to end gas flare by the end of the year in the state.

Other initiatives we have taken are our partnership with General Electric, GE, to explore environmental resilient projects based on renewable energy options; our partnership with International Energy Agency, IEA, to conduct analysis on low carbon and energy mix portfolio; our partnership with World Chambers of Commerce and International Chamber of Commerce, ICC-WCF, to promote Low Carbon Economy, LCE, for SME’s in Delta State. In fact, in 2010, in partnership with ICC-WCF, international experts from diverse backgrounds were in Asaba to brainstorm with SME groups in Delta on the opportunities in green economy.

The step we have taken so far is derived from our understanding that to combat climate change involves adopting new energy sources, technological change, political will and economic realities. It is actually true that as a nation our contribution to carbonization of the atmosphere and thus climate change is quite minimal—we are ranked 46th in the world for carbon emissions—the sad truth, however, is that unlike other developed nations we are most vulnerable to its devastating impact.

It is therefore in our interest to raise awareness and adopt public policies that encourage best practices that address the problem. A major step towards mitigating global warming would be to increase the efficiency of energy utilization, promote the development of alternative fuels with low carbon emissions, improvement in our land use, adopting building code that is environmental friendly and proper management of waste.

Delta State Government, I want to say, has not been slow in adopting some of these measures. We have embraced the use of solar energy as an alternative source of energy. It may interest you to know that Delta State is coming up with a Solar Village in Burutu LGA that would be entirely powered by solar energy.

Also, between the periods of 2010 till date, over 10,000 stands of solar street lights were installed in various towns and villages in Delta State; over 23 motorized borehole/water reticulation projects in 23 communities in the State were converted to solar- powered system. Most traffic lights in the state are powered by solar panels and there are several other solar projects in our hospitals and schools. These are positive steps but we are far from our target.

To conclude, I want to say that as the partnership and initiatives His Excellency is committed to evolve, the adoption and wide use of renewable energy would become a critical component of our public policy, just as we encourage other best practices that are environmentally sustainable.

Being text of speech delivered by Mr Paul Odili, Project Lead, Delta state, Green Economy Initiative, at the Niger Delta Youth Small Business Conference with the theme: “clearing the path for small business growth; benefits of doing sustainable businsess in a green economy” .