Ghana wants to see progress in climate negotiation – Frimpong-Boateng
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister for Environment Science, Technology and Innovation has said that Ghana would like to see substantive progress in the climate negotiations on issues such as, finance, adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation and gender.
He said these are important to ensure that “we implement our Nationally Determined Contributions and called on developed country parties to ensure sustainable and predictable flows of finance.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng was addressing the high-level segment of the 23rd session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, the thirteenth session of the Conference of Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement in Bonn.
He said Ghana is of the view that Middle Income Countries that pursue their socio-economic development with low carbon footprints should not be discriminated against through denial of access to grants.
According to the Environment Minister, Ghana reiterates its position that the UNFCCC process of negotiations is capable of that which truly respects the right of nations to pursue sustainable development, while providing equal opportunity for all to contribute towards achieving the global temperature goal.
“In this regard, Ghana associates herself with the common position of the African Group and G77 + China and calls for an all-inclusive negotiation of the Paris Agreement that will enhance the implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol.
“We further wish to emphasise the need to address the pre-2020 emission gap and call on developed countries to find opportunities to close this gap,” the Minister said.
Ghana like many developing nations, is already taking steps to address the negative impacts of climate change.
He said Ghana had commenced pre-2020 activities and was mainstreaming Nationally Determined Contributions in sector and local level plans and programmes.
“As part of effort to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), over the past months government has taken bold steps in protecting the environment of its people, particularly our water bodies, which have been polluted through illegal mining.
“Our” young farmers abandon farming because of drought and loss of farmlands and engage in illegal mining.
He said in the coming years ‘we seek to continue promoting sustainable development for sound Environmental Governance and also intensify awareness creation, collaborations and partnerships with relevant stakeholders.’
“These are some of the policies and measures we are undertaking at the national level to build resilience and equitable low carbon economy. We hope with additional support we will enhance our capacity to deliver on this laudable endeavour.”
Prof Frimpong-Boateng urged all parties to be mindful of the key elements in the deliberations on this multilateral platform.
“We” emphasise the need for strong partnership and call for strong leadership and drive to achieve a better climate future to facilitate the sustainable development we all cherish.
Together, “we” can explore common grounds and above all “seek to build mutual trust”.
Source: GNA