Ghana is getting involved in the fight against climate change and planning on reducing carbon footprints. Confirming the plans of his country to fight the environmental threat President Nana Akufo-Addo said that climate change is the biggest threat to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We, in Africa, suffer the most because our weak economies are most susceptible to the effects of climate change, and our capacity to withstand its damage is low,” said Akufo-Addo as he addressed the 2nd Africa Climate Chance Summit held at the Accra International Conference Centre, on Thursday, Ghana Web reported.
He told the gathering that Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards combating climate change have been fully incorporated into Government’s Co-ordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies (2017-2024), to facilitate their implementation.
“Indeed, all local authorities have been directed to address climate change adaptation and mitigation actions within their medium-term development plans. This is to reaffirm the critical role urban and local authorities play in addressing climate actions at the local level. It is important, also, to note that actions, as implemented by local authorities, are executed in the framework of the national priorities of climate actions in Ghana,” he added.
He continued, “We are committed to reducing carbon footprints in Ghana, and have, thus, taken the decision to increase the renewable energy component of our energy mix to 10%, up from 1%, by 2020. The target is to install 200 megawatts of distributed solar power by 2030 in both residential and non-residential facilities, and in state agencies, in order to reduce Government’s dependence on power generated by fossil fuels.”
The president previously asserted that it was in Africa’s interests to decisively fight climate change, on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly as the Global Report on Climate Economy by the Coalition of Urban Transitions was launched.
“We need to take practical and proactive steps to curb human activities that are endangering our planet. We need to provide solutions that can stand the test of time in Africa. Our work is cut out for us, and we cannot fail,” he added.