Ghana's Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Issifu Seidu, has emphasized the need for global cooperation to combat climate change, stating, "Climate change remains a priority for Ghana and our overarching agenda is to contribute to halting the rapidly accelerating climate crisis that is destroying both lives and livelihoods of nations at a rate not seen ever on the planet".
Speaking at the Ghana Day event at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, Minister Seidu highlighted Ghana's efforts to address climate change, including investing over $200 million in the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development and €3.8 million in climate risk transfer. He also emphasized the importance of developed nations fulfilling their climate finance commitments, saying,
The scope of support for global adaptation efforts is inadequate to address the problem at hand. It needs to be accelerated quickly".
The Minister noted that Ghana has taken several steps towards translating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into on-the-ground action, including developing policies such as the Agriculture Long Term Strategy, National electric vehicle strategy, and National energy transition framework. He also mentioned the operationalization of the Energy Transition Framework and the carbon market Office, and the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements on Article 6.2 with Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore.
Minister Seidu called for a more ambitious global response to the climate crisis, saying, "We cannot risk passing the tipping point, hence our call to major emitters to align their Nationally Determined Contributions to achieve the 1.5°C targets". He also emphasized the need for the Global Goal on Adaptation to be operationalized and for the Adaptation Fund to be strengthened to support vulnerable nations.
The Minister concluded by calling on all stakeholders to work together to ensure a resilient and transformational low-carbon future for Ghana and the world, saying, "I call on all present to do your best to contribute to ensure that when we leave here our participation in this COP will be one that will lead to a resilient and transformational low carbon Ghana".
Source: Kofi Ahovi, courtesy Jospong Group
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