The Gambia’s Ministry of Energy recently convened a stakeholder forum that seeks the removal of customs and taxes on energy-saving technologies, such as saving lighting fixture and hybrid cars, in a bid to reduce or limit Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
The forum discussed the National Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and actions that should be taken at the policy level to help in mitigating the risk of climate change.
The NAMAs are voluntary country engagement proposals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which are a set of government prioritised actions aimed at reducing or limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
The forum brought together stakeholders from various ministries and departments of the Gambia government, who are funding the project in conjunction with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to Bubu Pateh Jallow, national consultant of the project, the concept of NAMA emerged during the preparation of the Bali action plan as part of the Bali roadmap agreed upon at the United Nations climate change conference in Berlin in December 2007.
“The Bali action plan recognises the need for developing countries to fully participate in the efforts at achieving global emission reduction goals,” said Mr Jallow, who described the plan as a step in the right direction.
Mr Jallow told MarketPlace that it was when the AfDB realised that developing countries are not making enough submissions of NAMAs to the UNFCCC that it came with a proposal suggesting ways to support Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in developing and implementing the NAMAs.
The forum observed that at the policy level, actions should be considered on increasing Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (NLP & LPG) supply and distribution, as well as on increasing their share in the national energy system.
The consultant observed that there is the need to “develop a low-carbon growth plan and low-carbon strategy, in particular through the use of renewable energy investments and global cooperation”.
On renewable energy consumption, Mr Jallow said policies should be marshalled to offer subsidies for electricity generation from renewable energy resources such as wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), biogas and biomass, establishing tax exemptions to incentivise investment in the sector.
He also calls for the promotion of production and use of biofuels as transport fuel.
Experts at the forum also discussed the establishment of a national plan for the integrated management of urban solid waste for the construction of sanitary landfills and landfill gas capture, as well as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from burning of waste through composting.
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