Large investments are required in fighting climate change
Large investments are required in the country and in Africa to combat climate change and drive inclusive growth, the President of Climate Communications and Local Governance-Africa (CCLG-Africa), Kofi Don-Aggor, has said.
According to him, policy makers and all stakeholders have an important role to play in mitigating global warming and ensuring a just global transition to net-zero emissions, as well as driving growth through advocacy at the local level.
Speaking at the official launch of CCLG-Africa at Parliament House in Accra on Monday, he said: “It is my conviction that the total health conditions of any group of persons are a true reflection of their environment, and the failure of our educational set-up and religious institutions to make this a primary component of our practices has largely contributed to the fast degradation of the environment, whose effect we are all witnessing today.”
CCLG-Africa is a group of media professionals and environmental experts dedicated to advocacy on climate change and the environment. The launch of the association took place under the theme “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: A Collective Responsibility at the Local Level”.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Osei Bonsu Amoah, said the government was very much aware of the adverse effects of climate change on the various sectors of the economy, especially agriculture, energy, water resources and health.
He stated that the increasing negative effects of climate change have manifested in rising temperatures, reduced and unreliable rainfall patterns, extreme storm events, and changing seasonal patterns which have become more threatening in recent times.
“It is therefore important that there are concerted efforts to quickly respond to this phenomenon by formulating the appropriate policies, plans and programmes, and intensifying the mobilisation of local governments to effectively mainstream climate change into interventions to adapt or mitigate the negative effects of climate change.”
At the same event, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said Ghana’s economy stands to suffer from the impact of climate change because the national economy is dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, energy and forestry.
“Localisation of climate change and [a] decentralised system of government for the people of Ghana must ensure good governance and balanced rural-based development. That is why I am delighted to see an initiative that stems from the local voices and is built on a model of decentralised cooperation,” he added.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, stated that while countries strive to do their bit to tackle climate change at the national level, they want to see more at the international level.
“One major concern is the need to streamline access to international climate finance to complement national funding. Also, all other partners locally who have the resources to support or sponsor climate-related activities should not be on the fence. We need local communication and education support to teach everybody about climate change and its effect on our lives.”
The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, commended the organisers for “thinking about the climate and mother earth. There is no doubt that climate change is happening, and no country is immune to the impacts of climate change.”