Nigeria has adopted the Fly-to-Green project – an eco-friendly program aimed at engaging Nigerian consumers and operators in the aviation industry in the fight to reduce carbon emissions for a greener future. This was revealed by Capt. Musa Nuhu, Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at the recently concluded African-Indian Ocean (ACI) Conference in Abuja.
In a presentation by Capt. Nuhu under the theme, “Green Flight to Ecosystem Conservation in Nigeria: Mobilizing Market-Based Measures for Sustainable Aviation in Nigeria Program”, the DG cited a research carried out by the United Nations Organization (UNO) indicating that though Africa is liable for only less than 3% of global carbon emissions, the continent stands to suffer 60% of the consequences of the phenomenon.
According to the same source, Nigeria will bear the brunt of these repercussions, owing to its already advanced state of pollution and biodegradation. This, according to the NCAA DG is a clarion call for the activation of new ways to tackle the problem.
“The time for Africa to put a green foot forward is now”, he said, adding that this can be achieved through the Fly-to-Green Nigeria product under the Green-Sky-Green Initiative – a product which aims at encouraging Nigerian travelers to contribute to the go-green global trend as they fly. To this end, ten (10) trees are to be grown per domestic ticket sold, while a hundred (100) will be grown for every international ticket acquired in Nigeria. According to the NCAA boss, such a strategy will ensure one billion new trees are planted across Nigeria in ten (10) years.
Explaining in detail, Mr. Nuhu said: “Today, the global aviation industry contributes less than 5% of global carbon emissions footprint, buttressing the need for ICAO’s CORSIA program of Sustainable Aviation Policy that is anchored on the Common-but-Differentiated-Responsibility principle for global civil aviation industry regulators and operators to innovate clean and green low carbon, energy-efficient technology through in-sector and/or out of sector, region-specific market-based measures to mitigate the carbon emissions footprint.”
It is worthy to note that aside from the Fly-to-Green program, other products under the Green-Sky-Green Initiative include Eco-Citizen Consumers; Green Flight to Ecosystem Conservation; Policy Program; Policy Partners; Value Proposition; Green Fleet Initiative and Fly-2-Green Big Goal.
