Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Samuel A. Jinapor has called for the active involvement of the Ghanaian Youth in combating Climate Change and in other national discourse.
Active participation of the youth, according the Minister, will help shape and bring true meaning to the national conversation, especially at a time when nations are collectively working to find workable solutions to respond to Climate Change and other related issues of national concern.
Mr. Jinapor made the appeal at the maiden edition of the Young Professionals and Youth Coalitions Climate Change Summit, held in Accra on the theme “Confronting Our Individual and Collective Roles in Addressing the Climate Change Crisis”
He said the climate crisis is reaching a tipping point, adding that the Science, data, and events, both at National and Global levels are clearly pointing to the devastating nature of the crisis.
The Lands Minister maintained that without tackling Climate Change, “we cannot eradicate poverty, we cannot eliminate hunger, we cannot generate good health and well-being, we cannot build sustainable cities and communities, we cannot protect life below water, we, certainly cannot protect life on land”.
He urged Stakeholders to adopt innovative approaches to respond to Climate Change with a high sense of urgency, inclusiveness, and in ways that strengthen the resilience of respective ecosystems.
“Our response must involve both individual and collective actions, and must be embraced by the Youth, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Political and Traditional leaders, Local Governments and Public and Private Sector actors ” he said.
At the National level, the Minister touched on some key Government interventions in tackling Climate Change.
The measure, he mentioned, include the Green Ghana Project, which will see to the Planting of 20 Million trees this year, and the commitment to the Joint Framework of Action (JFA), signed with the Government of Cote d ‘Ivoire, and 36 Cocoa and chocolate producing companies to halt deforestation and forest degradation due to Cocoa production.
Mr. Jinapor stressed that, “we are implementing the Forest Investment Programme (FIP) to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the high forest and traditional zones, to enhance Carbon stocks and improve the livelihoods of rural communities”.
He described the consciousness of young men and woman on the African continent as “at an all-time high”.
Mr. Jinapor commended the organizers of the Climate Change summit in Accra for the laudable initiative while urging participants, mainly the Youth, to think outside the box and proffer innovative solutions to tackle the Climate Change Challenge.
“We must build on what we know, and develop the right tools and technologies to effectively communicate with our farmers, and deliver a low-carbon growth” he maintained.
Mr. Andy Osei Oprah, President of the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition Programme (YPYC) in stating the purpose for the Youth Climate Summit expressed his joy in addressing the determined Youth, who are keen on taking charge of the environment for the good of humanity and posterity.
Mr. Okrah assured that, despite Climate Change proving to be a real challenge to the attainment of lofty ideas and goals of sustainable development, “We are not hopeless, we are full of ideas and positive energies that we can unleash to arrest these threats to address the effects of Climate change in our communities, nations and continents” he maintained.
The West Africa Senior Advisor for Climate Change and Natural Resources at the British High Commission in Ghana, Dr. Julian Wright who represented the High Commissioner,
encouraged the Ghanaian Youth saying, “Ghana is on the forefront on the climate challenge fight and the Youth must have a voice that leads to negotiations”.
He further congratulated Ghana for her involvement in the COP 26 last year, saying he is looking forward to Ghana’s participation in COP 27 to be held in partnership with Egypt.
Mr. Wright again acknowledged some efforts by Ghana to push the agenda of Climate change through campaigns of the Ghanaian Youth, just as the Youth of United Kingdom who have manged to take leadership role across all levels and on climate change due to consistent pressure from the youth campaigns domestically.
“The future is in dealing with climate change, the Youth have to make a conscious choice as to the Ghana they want to live in”, he said.
