Ghana’s Cabinet approves National Climate Change policy

climate-changeGhana’s Cabinet has approved the National Climate Change Policy, Dr Joe Oteng Adjei, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation announced on Wednesday.

The Policy is built on five systematic pillars: Governance and Co-ordination, Science, Technology and Innovation, Finance, International Cooperation, Information Communication and Education and Monitoring and Reporting.

Dr Oteng Adjei made the announcement in Accra, in a speech read for him, by his deputy, Dr Mosheibu Mohammed Alfa, at a stakeholders’ workshop on the proposed establishment of a Climate Innovation Centre (CIC) in Ghana.

The objective of the Policy is to mitigate and ensure an effective adaptation in key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and food security, natural resources management, energy, industry and infrastructure among others.

Having set up the first one in Kenya, infoDev, a global partnership of the World Bank Group, is designing and launchings a network of CICs around the world to accelerate the innovation of locally relevant climate technologies.

The centres, which are being established in a number of countries including Ethiopia, India, South Africa, the Caribbean and Vietnam, are to address barriers to innovation by offering venture financing and other services that support domestic small and medium enterprises.

Dr Oteng Adjei said the Ministry welcomed the proposed establishment of the Centre in Ghana, and said it was in tandem with the national climate change policy.

“It will complement the efforts by the Government to strengthen capacities, leadership competencies and transform the institutions and organizations that are actively involved with climate change through innovation in new technologies”, the Minister said.

Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, noted that the energy sector forms the majority of carbon dioxide emissions, and the only way to cut down on energy related emissions of carbon dioxide is by using a combination of existing and new technologies.

“The time is right to make crucial choices for the future of the energy sector,” the Deputy Minister said.

Colleen LittleJohn, Acting World Bank Country Director for Ghana said economic growth could be combined with sustainable management of resources.

Source: GNA

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