Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

Riteonthebeach is a volunteer-led initiative leveraging blockchain technology to drive transparency and accountability in addressing environmental challenges while unlocking economic potentials for Nigeria’s coastal regions. By utilizing plastic-neutral tokens, the project builds trust and capacity within communities, tackling the tangible threat of plastic pollution as an entry point to address the intangible threat of climate change. 

Nigeria, home to the world’s third-largest mangrove cover, faces critical environmental threats. Along Lagos’ 74 km western peninsula, a fragile natural barrier between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland, 22,000 hectares of mangroves are at risk from rising sea levels and anthropogenic activities. Riteonthebeach has responded by removing over 30 tons of hard plastic from beaches, creating jobs, scholarships, and fostering environmental awareness. These efforts have catalyzed public attitude shifts toward waste management and inspired local entrepreneurship. 

Plans are underway to extend clean-up efforts to soft plastics, with initiatives involving traditional rulers, government agencies, universities, and indigenous communities. By prioritizing youth empowerment, the program offers skills training and scholarships, laying the groundwork for long-term economic resilience in coastal regions. 

Riteonthebeach integrates eco-tourism, green jobs, and carbon asset creation, demonstrating that climate resilience is a pathway to sustainable development. In a country where 90% of its young population resides on less than 10% of the landmass with limited resources, the initiative envisions a model for returning to rural areas. This approach leverages urban-acquired skills, community support, and access to finance to uplift communities, protect ecosystems, and celebrate Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. 

This replicable, community-driven model proves that environmental justice and economic empowerment can go hand in hand, fostering sustainable futures for Nigeria’s coastal regions.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption)', 'Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our project empowers these underrepresented groups—women, youth, and vulnerable communities—by creating pathways for education, employment, and economic diversification.

We provide scholarships to primary school children, flexible working conditions for women, and training and jobs for local youth. Beach cleaning activities enhance tourism, spurring the creation of tours and businesses that diversify the local economy. Our advocacy efforts in secondary schools and partnerships with tertiary institutions drive behavioral change, climate awareness, and innovation through data-driven, evidence-based solutions.

By restoring mangroves, we protect fish breeding grounds and regenerate livelihoods for fishing communities. Beach clean-ups remove ghost nets and debris, reducing harm to the ecosystem and cutting GHG emissions through recycling. The creation of carbon assets unlocks funding for sustainable community development, while conserving biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience. This holistic approach not only preserves the environment but also empowers marginalized groups to lead and benefit from the climate movement.

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