Environmentally Sound Technologies for Sustainability and Climate Change in Niger Delta

This paper examines the concepts of environmentally sound technologies and sustainability. Environmentally sound technologies are potential ways capable of mitigating environmental pollution by adopting the use of energy efficient technologies. While sustainability is a process of change in which technological development and institutional change in which the exploitation of resource, the direction of investment, the orientation of technological development and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs. In a broad sense sustainable development must enhance the long-term productivity of the resource base with acceptable environmental impacts. Using literature review and case studies of Britania U, a marginal oil field operator, Total Energy, and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). We find that environmentally sound technology can mitigate climate change. The study revealed that Britania used the technology which cleans out poisonous elements and emits smokeless air into the environment thereby mitigating climate change. Also, Total Energy, as part of its drive towards clean energy and reduce carbon emissions embarked on installation of solar energy while SPDC reported 17% decrease in routine flaring in 2020 due to the Southern Swamp Associated Gas Project which captured gas produced alongside oil in the Niger Delta. We find that environmentally sound technologies include all those technologies that reduce the negative impact of products and services on the natural environment. Furthermore, environmentally sound technologies have brought about increased opportunities for energy transition into cleaner forms of energy. We therefore recommend that developing countries try as much as possible to develop the internal capacities and embrace environmentally sound technologies to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change.