A research work commissioned by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has revealed the capacity of Ghana to meet its new climate change pledges.
The research found that notwithstanding the high percentage of conditional policy actions, the country has performed admirably in the past with regard to its climate pledges and that, it has largely created realistic climate pledges situated within the context of government policy.
“Social and institutional factors support Ghana’s climate pledges, while economic and political forces pose a threat. Based on advancements made in the social and institutional variables, Ghana’s new climate goals are largely realizable”.
CJID
Based on the encouragement by international development partners, several African countries have recently made ambitious pledges on climate action through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Long Term Visions and Strategies (LTV/LTS), and more recently, by way of net-zero announcements.
These efforts, on the surface, are found to be encouraging. However, it is still doubtful whether African governments can meet the ambitious climate pledges they are making, particularly with a widespread apprehension about the feasibility of African climate pledges.
“There are concerns that the ambitious climate goals being set by African countries are not in alignment with the political and economic realities in these countries and that these may result in a huge implementation and credibility gap in the coming years.”
CJID
Climate change pledges in West Africa countries
The study focused on three West African countries – Nigeria, Ghana, and The Gambia and explored the feasibility of the climate pledges made by West African countries, under the leadership of globally recognized professor of climate change, Chukwumerije Okereke.
The research found that in the three countries studied, existing dire socio-economic realities hamper the feasibility of lofty ambitions announced by the respective governments.
In the Gambia, the research predicted grave difficulties in implementing the country’s ambitious NDC as a nation that is dealing with significant economic difficulties and dependent on donor funding to carry out its development programme.
It added that The Gambia has been successful in creating national climate policies that would aid in the execution of her NDC, but that the nation’s economy is entirely dependent on agriculture.
According to the research, having ambitious climate policies without taking concrete action would have an impact on how well these NDCs are implemented in nations like The Gambia.
Meanwhile, the research credits Nigeria for lofty ambitions as expressed in the NDC and net zero target, but concludes that implementation has been very slow, and poorly coordinated.
The research therefore, suggested that weak financial, economic, social and institutional conditions cast severe doubt on the likelihood that Nigeria will accomplish its climate pledges.
Mobilizing realistic actions to combat climate change
CJID noted that the report is essential to providing quality information to the public and members of the climate community “in order to mobilize and demand realistic and effective actions from the respective governments as we approach COP27 later this year.”
“While it is important to raise the climate ambitions, when these ambitions are not backed by requisite action or where there is a lack of wherewithal to implement them, the ambitions become unfruitful.”
CJID
In assessing the feasibility of the climate pledges in the case study countries, the research focused on the political, economic, social, and institutional dimensions of the feasibilities. For the political dimension, it focused on the extent to which the political situation and processes in the country make it more or less likely that countries will fulfil their pledges. The financial feasibility focused on the likelihood that countries have the financial resources to fulfil their pledges.
With respect to social dimensions of feasibility, the emphasis was on the extent of climate change awareness in the case study countries and the degree of agitation and mobilization for strong climate action by citizens and civil societies.
Also, the research considered the institutional feasibility that focused on the nature and quality of institutional arrangements for climate action in the case study countries.
This included: the presence and quality of the countries’ environment and climate change ministries; the presence or otherwise of climate change laws to impel action; whether there are overarching bodies within the Presidency in these countries that are supervising climate action or whether there are systems for inter-ministerial coordination on climate action.
READ ALSO: We Have A Large Membership, That Is Beyond Our Control- CBOD
