3 months ago
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The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has called for a collective effort in sustaining the gains made from the ‘Green Ghana Project’ over the last three years.
He said it was imperative that Ghanaians owned the project, nurture it and ensure its sustainability.
“Let us go out, not only to plant trees, but grow them for a ‘Green Tomorrow’. This is a duty we owe not only to the current generation but to generations yet to come,” he emphasised.
• President Akufo-Addo (right) planting a tree during
the Green Ghana Day. With him are Mr Samuel
Abu Jinapor (left) and other dignitaries
President Akufo-Addo made the call on Friday when he led a tree planting exercise at the Burma Camp in Accra as part of this year’s ‘Green Ghana Day’ project.
With him were the Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Oppong-Pepprah, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Mr John Allotey.
President Akufo-Addo planted the first tree (African Star Fruit Plant) followed by Dominic Nitiwul, General Oppong-Pepprah and Abu Jinapor.
The President described the GGP as a massive success, stressing that over 42 million trees had been planted over the last three years with the goal for 2024 being to add another 10 million.
This, he said, would bring the total trees planted for the last four years to 52 million.
“This ambitious target aligns with Ghana’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 64 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo said it was important for all to be concerned about the alarming impacts of climate change not just in Ghana but Africa as a whole.
He said air pollution was responsible for approximately 6.7 million deaths annually, while biodiversity loss continued to endanger the ecosystem globally.
“The science tells us that forests play a crucial role in sustaining life on earth and tackling the triple planetary crises,” the President stated.
He pointed out that Agriculture, Forest, and Land Use (AFOLU) activities contributed significantly to Ghana’s greenhouse gas emissions, and maintaining forests was essential for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and pollution control.
He said there was an urgent need to combat climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss through a concerted programme of afforestation.
To this end, he further called on Ghanaians to embrace the theme of this year’s Green Ghana Day, “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow”, and participate in the national tree planting exercise.
He also called on the private sector to support this noble initiative since that would help reduce the burden on the public treasury.
He commended the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources for the One-Student One-Tree initiative, stressing that this would imbue the youth with the importance of environmental stewardship.
Mr Jinapor, for his part, commended President Akufo-Addo for his unwavering support for the Green Ghana initiative.
He said the country had made significant strides in its global forest management and climate action.
“This leadership has been recognised globally, leading to Ghana’s co-chairing of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) alongside the United States. This partnership aims to balance forest protection with food production and advance nature-based climate solutions,” he said.
The minister said Ghana was the second country in Africa and the third globally to receive results-based payments from the World Bank’s Carbon Fund for reducing emissions.
“The Green Ghana Day has become a cornerstone of these efforts, with the survival rate of planted trees increasing significantly each year, from 67 per cent in 2021 to 81 per cent in 2023.”
He added his voice to the call for all to support the initiative, adding that there were enough seedlings across the country for planting.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
