Climate Change Resilience: Government Introduces Low Carbon Economy

 Francis Npong, Wa, Upper West: The government of Ghana is poised to introduce low carbon growth in its economic development as part of measures to

Mr. Rudolf Kuuzegh

drastically decrease the global greenhouse rising emissions to check climate change and global warming.

The Secretary to the Ghana Climate Change Policy Framework Committee, Mr Rudolf S. Kuuzegh who disclosed this to the Enquirer in Wa, the Upper West Region after he led a discussion on Ghana’s efforts being made to reduce the effects of climate change on livelihoods said that implementing low carbon growth in a long-term would create a robust economy that would prepare the country to be able to withstand the shocks and stresses resulting from climate change.

Describing climate change as a major threat to the country’s development, Mr. Kuuzegh hinted that the government was embarking on energy sector reforms that seek to build new technologies and low carbon electricity generation capacity and improve energy efficiency for economic development.

“It is against this background that the government’s climate change policy framework emphasizes the development of effective and efficient energy technologies that will minimize the greenhouse gas emission that causes global warming”, he said.

Low carbon growth , he explained could mean less reliance on fossil fuels, high energy efficiency and increased the use of renewable energy which could lead to creation of new jobs resulting from the application of new technologies.

Mr. Kuuzegh who is also finance and administration officer of the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) stated that the climate change policy framework also seeks to improve future city planning, introduce modern transport infrastructure to lessen air pollution, and encourages effective use of renewable energy.

The secretary said that the climate change policy would also ensure national infrastructure developments are “climate- proof” and well adapted to impact of climate change variability.

Mr. Baba Tuahiru, the Advocacy manager of CARE International said that his outfit was working closely with the government and other organizations to develop climate change resilience policy that would help the country to cope with the effects of climate change.

According to him, CARE International’s Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) which is being implemented in about fourty communities in four Africa countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and Niger was part of the organization’s core poverty fighting mission among rural dwellers.

The programme, he said develops and applies innovative approaches to community based adaptation to generate best practices climate models aimed to empower communities to cope with effects of climate change.

Mr. Tuahiru explained that ALP also promotes rights and responsibilities and empower people in the most vulnerable socio-economic groups to take action and raise their voices in local, national, and international planning and policy-making processes on adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

He promised that CARE International would continue to work with the government, civil society organizations and communities to implement scientifically sound and socially equitable climate change strategic policies as mitigation and adaptation against global warming.

crease the global greenhouse rising emissions to check climate change and global warming. The Secretary to the Ghana Climate Change Policy Framework Committee, Mr Rudolf S. Kuuzegh who disclosed this to the Enquirer in Wa, the Upper West Region after he led a discussion on Ghana’s efforts being made to reduce the effects of climate change on livelihoods said that implementing low carbon growth in a long-term would create a robust economy that would prepare the country to be able to withstand the shocks and stresses resulting from climate change.

Describing climate change as a major threat to the country’s development, Mr. Kuuzegh hinted that the government was embarking on energy sector reforms that seek to build new technologies and low carbon electricity generation capacity and improve energy efficiency for economic development. “It is against this background that the government’s climate change policy framework emphasizes the development of effective and efficient energy technologies that will minimize the greenhouse gas emission that causes global warming”, he said.

Low carbon growth , he explained could mean less reliance on fossil fuels, high energy efficiency and increased the use of renewable energy which could lead to creation of new jobs resulting from the application of new technologies. Mr. Kuuzegh who is also finance and administration officer of the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) stated that the climate change policy framework also seeks to improve future city planning, introduce modern transport infrastructure to lessen air pollution, and encourages effective use of renewable energy.

The secretary said that the climate change policy would also ensure national infrastructure developments are “climate- proof” and well adapted to impact of climate change variability. Mr. Baba Tuahiru, the Advocacy manager of CARE International said that his outfit was working closely with the government and other organizations to develop climate change resilience policy that would help the country to cope with the effects of climate change.

According to him, CARE International’s Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) which is being implemented in about fourty communities in four Africa countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and Niger was part of the organization’s core poverty fighting mission among rural dwellers.

The programme, he said develops and applies innovative approaches to community based adaptation to generate best practices climate models aimed to empower communities to cope with effects of climate change. Mr. Tuahiru explained that ALP also promotes rights and responsibilities and empower people in the most vulnerable socio-economic groups to take action and raise their voices in local, national, and international planning and policy-making processes on adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

He promised that CARE International would continue to work with the government, civil society organizations and communities to implement scientifically sound and socially equitable climate change strategic policies as mitigation and adaptation against global warming.