The Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) has organised a workshop for the departmental heads in the Asante Akim North Municipality Assembly of the Ashanti region.
The engagement sought to build the capacity of the departmental heads towards the mainstreaming of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the implementation plan of the Asante Akim North Municipal Assembly.
It also presents the duo with the platform to share knowledge and address issues of climate change and renewable energy (including energy efficiency) in the quest to achieve environmental sustainability.
This, the SYND’s Focal Point, Patience Agyekum reiterated in her opening remark that her outfit will leverage the engagement with the assembly to see how energy efficiency can be fused into their work plan while identifying concerns that needed to be addressed to pave the way.
The Coordinating Director of the Asante Akim North Municipal Assembly, Francis Adu-Boateng on behalf of the assembly welcomed the team and assured of a smooth collaboration with the SYND to tackle the emerging concerns hindering sustainability in the jurisdiction.
He further indicated that the Assembly is willing to take proactive measures to address climate change issues that are stated in their implementation plan.
He assured of the Assembly’s unflinching support to implement projects on environmental sustainability and climate change.
A member of SYND’s Energy Team, Maxwell Beganim, took his turn to take the participants through a presentation aimed at sensitising the departmental heads on various international and national plans and policies that have a bearing on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The session focused on ways to include renewable energy and energy efficiency interventions in the assembly’s implementation plans, covering topics including the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, Ghana’s National Energy Transition Framework, and Ghana’s Renewable Energy Master Plan.
Participants were further grouped to discuss topics on the subject matter and proposed solutions, utilising the materials for the engagement that were provided by the Energy Commission.
The Biodiversity lead of SYND, Gifty Agbenyefia expressed gratitude to the Coordinating Director for providing the team with the opportunity to interact with the staff members at the municipal assembly.
She expressed hope that the knowledge gained from the workshop will be incorporated into their Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) and Annual Action plans.
Ms. Agbenyefia anticipated further collaboration with the assembly on addressing issues related to Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (NRE), such as Forestry, Energy, Climate Change, and Biodiversity.
The event saw a total of 35 participants out of which 29 were males and 6 were females. They included the departmental heads of various working units and some working staff of Asante Akim Municipal Assembly.
