European Union

A National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and National Environmental Policy (NEP) for Ghana were on July 22, 2014, launched in Accra by the President of Ghana, H. E. John Dramani Mahama.

The NCCP is Ghana's integrated response to climate change and has been prepared and designed within the context of national sustainable development priorities and provides a clearly defined pathway for dealing with the challenges of climate change within the current socio-economic context of Ghana, presenting the opportunities and benefits of a green economy.

The NEP also presents a road map to address major environmental threats jeopardizing the natural and common resource base of the country and has integrated the most urgent environmental concerns of present time to provide clear strategies for overcoming existing hurdles. It validates the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process as a tool for mainstreaming environment into all government policies, programmes and projects.

President Mahama said the reality of climate change is clear for all to see and that the peace and security of nations are being compromised as millions are forced to leave their homes to migrate in search of more sustainable environmental conditions. He said in Ghana, the impact of climate change is being felt especially in the agricultural sector because peasant farming is no longer viable with the unpredictable change in weather patterns, while in the three northern regions of Ghana, some varieties of maize, early millet, seasonal vegetables and guinea corn among other food crops are no longer being cultivated.

The President said climate change has been on the national development agenda of the country for a long time and commended research scientists for coming out with drought resistant crops for instance to mitigate the effect of climate change in the agricultural sector. Government he stated was exploring ways of building weather surveillance and early-disaster systems to build resistance against climate change.

He said the government looks forward to working with partners and stakeholders to implement the policies developed as a result of several consultations and deliberations and that more so government would depend on public and private sources of funding to implement the policies, urging all stakeholders to buy into the policies.

In a solidarity message on behalf of Development Partners, Ambassador Claude Maerten, Head of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, commended the government for adopting the NCCP and the NCP which represents a step towards the establishment of a sustainable national development framework, which is in line not only with the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) and other national policy documents but also with the ongoing global discussions around the post-2015 and post-Millennium Development Goals agenda.

Highlighting key elements in the NCCP, Ambassador Maerten said the policy demonstrates the sectional approach that Ghana has adopted to tackle climate change, recognising the cross-sectorial nature of climate change and its effects on the economy and society. "Secondly, we appreciate that, whilst focussing on creating the necessary mechanisms to effectively and timely adapt to climate change and taking into consideration social development, the Policy included climate change mitigation as one of its key pillars. In other words, the Policy recognizes that measures to reduce carbon emissions can also represent a vehicle of new opportunities and benefits of a green economy, rather than being detrimental to the socio-economic development of the nation".

"We, development partners of the Sector Working Group on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate, are ready to collaborate with the government and people of Ghana to ensure these bold and far-reaching policies that we are launching today really work. Here, we are reaffirming our commitment to provide the needed support for the successful implementation of the policies. We however need the strong leadership and collaboration of government in this partnership. While climate change and environmental threats pose unprecedented challenge to us, they can be transformed into opportunities when tackled with innovative thinking and solutions. This is possible, and this is the future we want and should work towards".

The event was chaired by the President of the National House of Chiefs, Naa Prof. John S. Nabila, Wulugu Naba, and hosted by the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu. It was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms. Hannah Tetteh.