Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has called on stakeholders to ensure enhanced efforts in helping to deal with climate change.
According to him, the country’s economy may potentially suffer from the devastating effect of climate change if not handled properly.
Mr Bagbin explained that “our national economy is dependent on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, energy, forestry and others”.
In a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the Climate Communications and Local Governance – Africa initiative, the Speaker urged for improved collaborations to help protect the environment.
“I will encourage the Climate Communications and Local Governance (CCLG) – Africa to endeavour to enhance communication and the use of efficient planning and implementation tools, and action plans for climate adaptability.
“Our local authorities ought to have joint ownership of these climate-related projects for the sake of sustainability and adopt best practices in the dissemination of information through media networks. This must be done in alignment with other related initiatives”.
“I wish to assure you of the support of my good office for the Climate Communications and Local Governance initiative. Government, the private sector, communities and civil society organizations need to work together on this nagging issue”.
Alban Bagbin
Dissemination of information on climate change
On his part, founding president of CCLG, Kofi Don-Agor, underscored the essence of the initiative which engages in advocacy, education, capacity building and dissemination of information on climate change and environmental matters at the local level.
Additionally, he noted that his outfit is working to promote corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability.
Furthermore, he revealed that it will also ensure the advocacy for environmental justice and ecosystem sustainability, and act as a watchdog to ensure that government fulfils environment protection objectives.
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister for Environment Science Technology and Innovation, also canvassed for concerted efforts in fighting the negative impacts of climate change.
“Increasing awareness, enhancing communication, and the participation of the legislature and religious organisations in efforts aimed at stepping up climate actions especially at the local level, is very critical to achieving the global climate targets.
“If we do not expand our scope of interventions through both adaptive and mitigative factors, climate change threatens to erode every development gain we have made in the past and definitely hamper our ability to accomplish or get anywhere near achieving the sustainable development goals”.
Kofi Don-Agor
Strengthen intervention to fight climate change
Also, the deputy minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development O. B. Amoah, expressed the importance to strengthen interventions to address climate change.
“We have had our fair share of floods in Ghana. Indeed, some communities experienced flooding during the rainy season this year.
“However, it has been noted that this year’s rainy season started quite late and the country experienced less rain than normally occurs, affecting the main farming season.
“These occurrences clearly show that we are all affected one way or the other by the adverse effects of climate change no matter which part of the world we find ourselves and it is important that we continue to build our resilience against climate change”.
O. B. Amoah
Mr O.B Amoah further noted that government is conscious of the adverse effects of climate change on the various sectors of the economy. As such, the the ministry has recently introduced interventions to sensitise metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
The move, Mr O.B Amoah explained, is to build capacity and provide financial support for the implementation of activities that create green based livelihoods and alternative livelihoods.
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