A major new proposal for a global shift in tackling climate change has been launched from Nigeria. The Adé-Nexus Centre for Energy & Climate Innovation has issued a decisive Position Paper calling for a more realistic and equitable worldwide strategy.
The document, dated 31 December 2025, is addressed directly to the United States of America with the intention of being adopted globally by the United Nations. It argues that current approaches are structurally weak, over-relying on intermittent renewable energy and failing to properly value the role of hydrocarbons in global stability and development.
A Call for a Pragmatic and Inclusive Pathway
The paper, authored by Architect-in-Chief Adéṣẹ́gun Ọṣìbánjọ́, states that a new paradigm is urgently needed. This model must integrate the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE), Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), and create fair financing for Africa and other developing regions.
The Centre specifically requests the United States, under the energy policy direction of the Trump administration and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, to co-champion this new global direction. It believes that combining U.S. technological leadership with UN legitimacy can create a climate model that protects development and delivers real environmental progress.
Addressing the Limits of Current Approaches
The Position Paper provides a critical audit of the existing global climate architecture. It points out that the world's dependency on hydrocarbons for reliable industrial power and economic survival is being sidestepped by idealistic projections.
Renewable energy alone cannot sustain global stability, the paper asserts, especially in developing nations where industrialization is a priority. It cites grid stress and supply shocks in countries like Germany and the United Kingdom as evidence of the fragility caused by premature over-dependence on intermittent renewables.
The document argues it is neither fair nor realistic to expect Africa to industrialize without access to the same reliable baseload energy that powered the world's largest economies. A transition that ignores this, it warns, will punish developing countries and deepen global inequality.
The Core Proposal: Circular Carbon Economy and CCUS
At the heart of the proposed new strategy is the Circular Carbon Economy, described as the most balanced and scientifically sound pathway. This model is built on four pillars: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Remove carbon.
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is identified as the critical technology. CCUS enables the continued use of hydrocarbons in vital industries like cement, steel, and power generation while dramatically cutting emissions. Captured carbon can be stored in deep geological formations such as depleted oil reservoirs or saline aquifers.
The paper makes a strong case for Africa, which holds vast hydrocarbon reserves needed for poverty reduction and job creation. It argues that restrictive global financing that blocks fossil investment in Africa is hypocritical and harmful, as wealthy nations continue large-scale consumption.
The proposal calls for fossil exploration in Africa to continue but be integrated with CCUS technology from the start, ensuring operations are responsible and emissions are tracked under Measurable, Reportable, and Verifiable (MRV) systems.
Financing and Global Leadership
The paper highlights the need for special financing for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, and chemicals. It calls on the UN, US, World Bank, and other institutions to create funding windows for industries that adopt CCUS.
It urges the United States to reclaim global leadership by championing this revised, innovation-driven framework instead of withdrawing from climate agreements. With U.S. endorsement, the United Nations could then formalize and globalize the model.
Finally, the proposal seeks a redefinition of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to simplify carbon market rules and unlock billions in climate finance for developing nations, making the Circular Carbon Economy scalable and commercially attractive.
The Adé-Nexus Centre concludes that the world is at a crossroads. It submits this strategy to the U.S. for partnership and to the UN for adoption, offering a pathway it believes finally aligns climate ambition with the reality of human progress and leaves no nation behind.
