CLIMATE CHANGE ACT (1)

What Is This Policy?

The Climate Change Act 2021 is Nigeria's landmark legislation that mainstreams climate change response into the country's national governance and planning systems — establishing legally binding obligations on all tiers of government to integrate climate action into budgeting, planning, and policy-making, with a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions.

Who Does It Target?

All Federal, State, and Local Government authorities — with mandatory climate integration obligations The private sector — particularly high-emission industries in energy, transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing Climate-vulnerable communities in coastal zones, the North-East, and Niger Delta Development partners, multilateral institutions, and international climate finance bodies

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Achieve low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development in line with Nigeria's NDCs Pursue net-zero emissions by 2060 — in line with the Paris Agreement's long-term temperature goal Mainstream climate change considerations into Nigeria's annual budget cycle, all MDAs' activities, and all three tiers of government Facilitate access to international climate finance (Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, global carbon markets)

Key Features

Presidential Council on Climate Change: Highest-level inter-ministerial body chaired by the President; sets national climate priorities and coordinates cross-government action Climate Change Action Plans: Mandatory 5-year national climate plans aligned with NDCs; all MDAs required to produce sectoral climate action plans National Carbon Budget: Establishes a national carbon budget — a cap on GHG emissions — reviewed every five years to drive progressive emission reductions Climate Fund: Nigeria Climate Change Fund established to receive and deploy domestic and international climate finance Mandatory Reporting: All ministries and companies above a specified size must report climate-related risks and emission data annually Local Government Inclusion: First Nigerian law to place climate action obligations on LGAs — recognising sub-national importance in adaptation and mitigation

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active — Act signed November 2021; first National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP 2021–2025) published Implementing Body: Department of Climate Change (DCC), Federal Ministry of Environment; Presidential Council on Climate Change NDC Target: Nigeria targets 47% conditional reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (conditional on international finance), 20% unconditional Net Zero Commitment: Net-zero emissions by 2060; interim goals of 20% unconditional and 47% conditional emission reductions by 2030 Funding: Nigeria Climate Change Fund, Green Climate Fund allocations, World Bank Nigeria CCAP Project, bilateral climate finance

How to Access

Businesses: Report GHG emissions data to DCC via the National GHG inventory system; develop corporate climate action plans State Governments: Develop and submit State Climate Action Plans (SCAPs) to the National Council on Climate Change by specified deadlines Civil Society & Communities: Engage the Climate Change Technical Committee and participate in national adaptation planning consultations International Finance: Access Nigeria Climate Change Fund and Green Climate Fund windows via DCC: environment.gov.ng/climate

Important Terms

Carbon Budget Compliance: Federal and state MDAs must operate within sectoral carbon budgets — exceeding limits triggers mandatory corrective action Net Zero 2060: All long-term government investments and infrastructure decisions should be stress-tested against the 2060 net-zero pathway

Official Resources

Website: environment.gov.ng | unfccc.int/nigeria Contact: Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja | [email protected] Policy Summary | Source: Climate Change Act 2021, Nigeria NDCs 2021, UNFCCC, Climate Policy Initiative | February 2026

Legal Framework

The Climate Change Act 2021 is the primary legislation on climate change in Nigeria. It derives authority from Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution (environmental objective) and implements Nigeria's obligations under the Paris Agreement (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It operates alongside the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) Act 2007, the Environmental Impact Assessment Act 1992, and the National Policy on Climate Change.