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*Urges World leaders to Act Fast on Climate Change
*'Climate impacts could cost world's economy $7.9tn by 2050'
As the world celebrates the World Environment Day, a firm, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), has appointed Adenike Oladosu, Africa most prominent climate activist from Nigeria, to head its new ‘ECW Climate Champion’, known as ‘@The EcoFeminist’.
With her new appointment, Oladosu called on the world leaders to expedite action and tackle cases of climate change with education across the continent.
She stressed that World Leaders should act #RightHereRightNow to connect climate action with education action on World Environment Day.
Oladosu, who called on global leaders to address cases of climate change, said its impact had posed threats to nations and put generations at risk.
She said: “Across Africa, climate change is ripping lives apart: forcing children from school, pushing families from their homes, triggering spikes in hunger, poverty and violence, while derailing efforts to deliver on promises outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals."
She added that, "The interconnected challenges of armed conflicts, forced displacement, environmental degradation and climate change are putting an entire generation at risk.
"To address the growing education/climate crises, we must act #RightHereRightNow to ensure access to quality education for millions of crisis-impacted girls and boys worldwide. As we lead up to this year’s Summit of the Future and Climate Talks, I urge world leaders to take strong action to insert education in the global climate agenda."
Speaking on the appointment, the Executive Director, ECW, Yasmine Sherif, described Oladosu as a tireless advocate for climate action in Africa, adding that the impact of climate change could not be overemphasized.
He said that by 2050, climate impacts could cost the world's economy US$7.9 trillion.
Sherif stated, “Adenike Oladosu as our new ‘ECW Climate Champion,’ will spearhead a global movement to connect climate action with education action as we work together to address the life-threatening challenges of rising seas, spiking temperatures, ever-more-severe droughts, floods and natural hazards that are derailing development gains and denying children their human right to a quality education."
Sherif revealed that ECW had issued a global appeal for $150m to support ECW and its global strategic partners to reach 2 million children impacted by the converging threats of climate change.
He said, "At last year’s Conference of the Parties in Dubai (COP28), ECW issued a global appeal for $150 million to support ECW and its global strategic partners to reach 2 million children impacted by the converging threats of climate change, armed conflicts and forced displacement with the safety, hope and opportunity of a quality education.
"At COP-28, Denmark announced approximately $6.5 million in additional funding to Education Cannot Wait to scale-up access to quality educational opportunities for girls and boys living on the frontlines of the climate crisis."
He called on the public and private sector to partner and contribute their quota to tackle issues of climate change.
A recent analysis by the World Bank stated: "The challenges of climate change are unprecedented and by 2050, climate impacts could cost the world's economy $7.9 trillion and could force up to 216 million people to move within their own countries.
“Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires as well as the probability of co-occurring events. These extreme weather events are increasingly disrupting schooling and precipitating learning losses, dropouts, and long-term impacts.
"Over 99% of children around the world are exposed to at least one major climate and environmental hazard. These are eroding education outcomes and recent progress in improving school access and learning."
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations that offers quality support to refugees, internally displaced persons and other crisis-affected girls and boys, so no one is left behind.
