Yemisi Izuora
The Women In Energy Oil and Gas (WEOG) officially announced September 3 as World Decarbonisation Day.
Also as part of the Decarbonization Initiative, the WEOG has initiated the planting of over 10 million special trees that have higher rates of carbon absorption.
National President of WEOG in Nigeria and CEO of Blackgold Energy Authorities, Oladunni Owo, made the disclosure during the Decarbonization Initiative Press Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.
The WEOG is a forum created to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the male-dominated energy, oil, and gas industry in Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme “Collaboration, Innovation, and Action for a Low Carbon Oil & Gas Industry,” Owo noted that despite advancements in human investments and industrialization, there is more carbon in the atmosphere than is sustainable for human life.
She said, “Suddenly, we started hearing words like the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and carbon pollution and emissions.”
She explained that decarbonisation is a process where carbon can be converted, stored, captured, and sequestered, keeping it within the oil well or underground so it does not escape into the atmosphere.
“With decarbonisation, our energy oil and gas resources can still be very useful. Our research also showed that oil and gas are not just about fuels (petrol, diesel, DPK, and other forms of fuels).
“Oil and gas are also about fertilizers, polyester, rubber, petrochemicals, and several other products that are not necessarily fuel.”
She further stated that the decarbonisation agenda of WEOG focuses on making the exploration and production of oil and gas clean to minimize environmental impact.
Owo said, “The solution is decarbonisation, and currently, ongoing research on how this can be achieved shows that the simplest and most achievable method is tree planting.
“These activities can be carried out by everyone, including the high and mighty.”
Owo emphasized that in Africa and Nigeria, there is a significant energy gap, so a diverse range of energy resources, including solar, wind, hydrogen, nuclear, and gas, is needed to close these gaps.
This is why WEOG is initiating the concept of bringing decarbonisation to the forefront.
“We want to elevate this to another level and let it become another Conference of the Parties (COP), spreading from Nigeria to other parts of the world,” Owo said.
Regarding World Decarbonisation Day, Owo stated that WEOG initially picked June 24, 2024, but due to interest from various groups, including international bodies, an unveiling was done in Houston, Texas, during the recently concluded OTC.
Following this, the President of Nigeria also showed interest, leading to the selection of September 3, 2024, as the official date.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to make the main declaration, and September has been declared Decarbonisation Month, with Decarbonisation Week from September 3 to 5 in Abuja.
Owo has therefore invited stakeholders, industry experts, and potential partners to join and support WEOG in the advocacy.
She also confirmed that WEOG has initiated the National Decarbonisation Park.
Prince Nwosu also spoke, encouraging women in the oil and gas field to embrace the initiatives and visions of WEOG.
“It cannot be well if you are not aware,” he said, urging women to sustain the advocacy about climate change and its impact.