With support from UNDP, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has launched the Climate Change and Green Economy Learning Strategy (CCGELS) to promote climate change education, awareness and learning in Ghana on 28 October 2016.
The strategy was developed by MESTI and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) with funding support from the Swiss Government through the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC Learn).
This is a collaborative initiative involving 34 multilateral organizations which supports countries in designing and implementing country-driven, results-oriented sustainable learning to address climate change.
The CCGELS, which is a capacity building component of the Climate Change Master Plan, seeks to promote awareness creation and help to build national capacity for the implementation of Ghana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) under the Paris Agreement.
In her speech read by Mr. Ben Asamani, Madam Salamata Salam, Chief Director of MESTI, said, the CCGELS would complement systematic country driven programmes to enhance climate change learning and strengthen institutional capacities for good governance, institutional cooperation, science and innovation, effective monitoring and reporting. She encouraged all stakeholders to support the implementation of the strategy to ensure that Ghana’s targets under INDC are achieved.
John A. Pwamang, the acting Executive Director of EPA, expressed gratitude to the development partners for their support in helping to develop the strategy. “Awareness creation as we all know is critical because it is one of the pillars to our National Climate Change Policy. If we can create awareness, the rest of pillars in the climate change policy can be implemented effectively”
Amrei Horstbrink, a representative from UNITAR, congratulated Ghana for taking the lead in developing a strategy for climate change and green economy learning. She was hopeful that Ghana’s steps in this direction would serve as a shining example for other developing countries to emulate.
The ceremony, which witnessed the appointment of Dr. Emmanuel Tachie-Obeng of EPA as UN CC Learn Ambassador, witnessed congratulatory messages from development partners including UNDP, the European Union and the Swiss Government towards Ghana’s commitment to help address climate change challenges.
The event was part of the celebrations of the maiden edition of the Climate Change and Green Economy Week organized by MESTI and EPA.
