- The African Development Bank has announced the nomination of Professor Anthony Nyong, director for Climate Change and Green Growth, as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy 2019 by Apolitical, a peer-to-peer learning platform for governments.
- Nyong, a pioneering and globally recognised climate change expert, was named among the top 20 on the prestigious listing announced Wednesday in London.
Lisa Witter, Apolitical’s executive chairman, said: “The need to reduce greenhouse gas emission is urgent. 174 countries and the EU agreed to act at the Paris Agreements.
“At Apolitical, we highlight the good work that government does and help it to become even better. By showcasing these climate policy leaders, we hope to encourage more collaboration and exchange to accelerate the effective response to the global climate threat.”
“It is an honour to be acknowledged among such an influential list of leaders who are passionate and actively working to influence policy and make a tangible difference towards addressing global climate change,” said Nyong.
He continued: “Climate change has evolved from an environmental worry to a threat on global development, particularly in Africa. The African Development Bank, under the leadership of Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has demonstrated a strong commitment at both policy and implementation level, to climate compatible development in Africa.”
Nyong joined the bank in 2008 and built up the bank’s climate change initiatives including its Green Growth Agenda. Read more: AfDB pledges $25bn to climate finance for 2020-2025
Prior to joining the AfDB, he worked as a senior programme specialist for climate change at the International Development Research Centre in Nairobi.
In this role, Nyong successfully mobilised substantial resources to set up the climate change adaptation in Africa, a programme that has significantly built adaptation capacity across the continent.
Before that, he was a coordinating lead author of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and was a co-recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions.
Nyong also served as a Professor of Climate Change at the University of Jos, Nigeria.
“We are delighted by this nomination of one of our own to this list,” said the bank’s Vice President, Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, Amadou Hott.
Hott added: “It is a worthy recognition of his – and the bank’s – commitment to respond to climate change threats on our continent, which remains disproportionately affected.”
Author: GBA News Desk/ESI-Africa Contributor
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes.
