Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL), has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2060.
Speaking at the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) breakfast meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, Communications Manager, Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa, Mr. Victor Anyaegbudike said that through investments in gathering and processing of associated gas, Chevron Nigeria had achieved 95% reduction in gas flaring and aims to to achieve 100 per cent zero flaring soon.
Anyaegbudike noted that gas which was hitherto flared in Nigeria was now being gathered via pipelines for purification and commercialisation purposes.
“Chevron has done a lot to reduce gas flaring and it is impacting the communities to achieve 100 per cent zero flaring soon and stop the associated health hazards,” he said.
He pledged CNL’s commitment to the highest standard of environmental conservation practices in Nigeria, pointing out that through its social investment programmes, the company would continue to effectively impact environmental, community and policy matters.
Besides, he noted that the company’s Global Memorandum of Understanding provides sustainable approach to stakeholders’ engagement, conflict resolution, reputation management and peace building.
He further added that CNL has achieved 16 years of community development, with over 400 communities impacted and over 600,000 beneficiaries.
According to him, the United States oil major had been at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Speaking, NACC President, Dame Adebola Williams, said that Chevron had for several decades operated successfully in Nigeria as a joint venture partner with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Represented by Deputy President, NACC, Mr. Thomas Osobu, Williams noted that the company had partnered the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) to address socioeconomic challenges in the Niger Delta region.
She added: “In 2014, Chevron committed an additional $40 million in funding to the NDPI through 2019.
“Thus, Chevron has contributed significantly in its past and existing social investment efforts by focusing on one strategic objective; achieving a peaceful, enabling environment for equitable growth, particularly in the Niger Delta as well as human capacity building initiatives for Nigerians as a whole.”
Nigeria’s 2060 net-zero target is coming 10 years behind the recommended deadline, which the UN along with many climate scientists would like to achieve to stop global warming.
The UN had said global carbon dioxide emissions would need to reach net zero around 2050 to limit the disastrous effects of climate change.
Nations such as United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union have set targets to achieve net-zero by 2050. However, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Russia vowed to reach net-zero by 2060.
Net zero emission means ensuring that the amount of greenhouse gas produced is equivalent to what is removed from the atmosphere.
This means that as carbon is being released, it is also being removed from the atmosphere such that emissions are reduced to zero in order to stabilise global temperatures.