$53.3 Billion needed to implement climate action plan over 10 years
Ghana will require an estimated $53.3 billion to implement its climate-change adaptation programmes over a 10-year period from 2025 to 2035, the Director of Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Dr Peter Dery, has said.
Known as the 2025 updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), they are a set of programmes and actions that Ghana has submitted to the United Nations (UN) to demonstrate how it intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming.
Dr Dery said the country would implement a range of climate mitigation and adaptation programmes across sectors such as energy, agriculture, forestry, water, land use and health, while also strengthening resilience against climate-related shocks.
“To achieve this and also to build resilience in certain sectors and make sure that we can adapt to climate change and contain the shocks that come from the negative impacts of climate change, we are looking at about $53.3 billion for 10 years,” he stated.
Mr Dery was speaking at a stakeholder consultation meeting on Ghana’s updated NDCs in Accra yesterday, to seek the inputs of stakeholders on finalising the document.
The meeting was organised by UNDP Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Funding sources
Dr Dery said the government budget would remain the primary source of financing for the implementation of the NDCs.
However, he said the country would also depend on support from corporate institutions, development partners, multilateral climate funds and bilateral partners.
Among the sources identified were the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Climate Investment Fund and other global financing mechanisms established under international climate agreements.
Delayed submission
Mr Dery explained that the country is expected to submit the updated NDCs to the UN in December last year, but was unable to do so because of delays linked to the election period and subsequent government transition.
He added that another setback occurred following the death of the former minister in a plane crash, which slowed the process further as they awaited the appointment and orientation of a substantive minister.
Dr Dery assured stakeholders that the delay was not deliberate and added that the country remained committed to its climate ambitions, and that many programmes expected to form part of the 2025 NDCs were already being implemented across the country.
“Ghana has not halted its climate ambition. We are still working very hard and implementing what we have already identified that will be part of the 2025 NDCs,” he said.
Commitment
The Chief Director of the MEST, Suweibatu Adams, said beyond addressing climate change, the framework had the potential to create thousands of green jobs, improve public health, strengthen food and water security and support the development of a competitive low-carbon industrial sector.
She assured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and results-oriented implementation.
She added that robust monitoring, reporting and verification systems would be established to ensure resources were used efficiently and equitably, with special attention to gender-responsive outcomes and vulnerable communities.
Speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr Zia Choudhury, the UNESCO Representative to Ghana, Mr Edmond Moukala, commended the country for demonstrating strong climate leadership despite contributing only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions.
