Onuigbo takes over as GLOBE President, Pledges Stronger Parliamentary Action on Climate Change

Sponsor of Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, Rt. Hon. Sir Sam Onuigbo, has been inaugurated as President of GLOBE Legislators, a global network of lawmakers committed to advancing climate action and sustainable development.

Speaking during the 35th anniversary celebration of GLOBE Legislators held at the Churchill Room of the House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Onuigbo pledged to strengthen parliamentary engagement in climate governance and promote global cooperation in tackling environmental challenges.

The event brought together parliamentarians and stakeholders from across Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific to celebrate the organisation’s achievements over the past 35 years.

In his inaugural address, Onuigbo paid tribute to the founders of GLOBE, including former United States Vice President Al Gore, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and legislators from Europe, Japan, and Russia, who established the organisation in 1991 to ensure that international climate agreements are translated into national laws and policies.

According to him, GLOBE has played a pivotal role in promoting parliamentary involvement in climate action across party lines and has helped shape legislative frameworks on climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification worldwide.

Onuigbo revealed that his participation at the GLOBE Legislators Summit during the COP21 climate conference in Paris inspired his push for the enactment of Nigeria’s Climate Change Act.

“The summit challenged parliamentarians to return home and pursue climate legislation. I came back to Nigeria and never looked back. Today, Nigeria’s climate action journey has advanced significantly because of the Climate Change Act,” he said.

The new GLOBE President also highlighted the organisation’s growing role as the focal point of the Parliamentary Group of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), noting that GLOBE successfully hosted Parliamentary Pavilions at COP28 in Dubai and COP29 in Baku, with plans to continue the initiative at COP31 in Antalya.

Onuigbo outlined his vision for the organisation, promising to promote green investments, strengthen climate education, expand capacity-building programmes for lawmakers, and foster stronger collaboration among governments, development agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector.

He stressed the importance of climate education, arguing that future generations must be equipped with the knowledge and skills required to address environmental challenges.

“We will advocate the mainstreaming of climate education globally to build a generation that is informed, innovative and prepared to lead the transition to a sustainable future,” he stated.

The former lawmaker further announced plans to expand GLOBE’s Student-MP Climate Surgery initiative, which was implemented in Nigeria in 2022 to promote youth participation in climate advocacy and policy discussions.

Onuigbo called on legislators, governments, donor agencies, development banks, academics, and young people to support parliamentary engagement in climate governance, insisting that effective climate action cannot succeed without strong legislative backing.

“Without parliaments, we cannot achieve anything. As GLOBE rightly stated in 2023, parliaments make COPs Count. There will be no meaningful progress in climate action without parliaments,” he said.

He also acknowledged the contributions of Nigeria’s former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for supporting the introduction and expansion of GLOBE activities in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking with Journalists shortly after his inauguration Onuigbo said: “ From the inspiring message of our co-founder and former US Vice President, Al Gore; the message of hope and support from the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Nigeria, His Excellency Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu ; to the charges from Mr Kamal Kishore, Special Representative for the UN Secretary General, UNDRR; Mr. Nick Mabey OBE, Founder & Chair, London Climate Action Week; CEO and Co-Founder, E3G; and Mr. Pablo Vieira, Head, NDC Partnership, for me, it was a moment reflective of the need for sustained growth . I assure all that we will not let this light dim.”

“ I thank the host, Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP, former UK Minister for Energy Security & Net Zero; my beloved wife, Pastor Dame Princess Chinyere Onuigbo; my friends, family and colleagues who came from far and wide to support me; the entire Members of Parliament from across the world; and development partners who joined us at this momentous occasion”.

Founded in 1991, GLOBE Legislators is the world’s first cross-party network of parliamentarians dedicated to advancing climate action and sustainable development through legislation, oversight, and international cooperation.