The Petroleum Commission is providing support for training more than 30 journalists on the pressing global subjects of Energy Transition, Climate Financing and related topics. This training initiative, known as the ‘Finance and Economics Clinic’, is organised by El de D Consult and is a periodic effort aimed at enhancing journalists’ capacity in the realm of business and financial reporting.
These journalists have been carefully selected from regions spanning the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Volta and Western Regions. As the world gears up for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference – also known as the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) set to take place in Dubai, issues concerning Energy Transition will undoubtedly take centre-stage. This year’s conference, COP28, will place significant emphasis on the call for a global transition to clean energy and decarbonisation of the energy sector – all in an effort to curb global warming and aim toward the attainment of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The primary objective of this training is to equip participating journalists with knowledge and skills necessary to effectively cover this trending subject, and expose them to the potential implications for economies – particularly Ghana’s.
The Petroleum Commission, regulator and manager of Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector, maintains a deep interest in both local and global dialogues surrounding Energy Transition. As a result, the Commission has provided support for this training programme – recognising its unique role in empowering the media to report more comprehensively and accurately on this crucial global matter.
Egbert Faibille Jnr., Chief Executive Officer-Petroleum Commission, hailed the training as timely and encouraged participating journalists to seize this golden opportunity to build a robust knowledge-base on the subject, which will significantly enhance their accurate reporting on Energy Transition and related matters.
He stated: “There are implications for how our country approaches the issue of Energy Transition, and therefore a well-informed media is of paramount importance in discussing this matter and shaping the national discourse in this regard. I wish success for the participating journalists, and as a Commission we will continue to make informed decisions in the best interests of Ghana and its citizens”.
Edward Appiah-Brafoh, Corporate Affairs Manager-Petroleum Commission, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to collaborating with the media to ensure both journalists and the public remain well-informed about developments in the petroleum industry – especially on issues relating to Energy Transition, where a good number of global citizens are oblivious as to the true meaning and direction of Energy Transition.
Fred Avornyo, Lead Facilitator for the training, expressed gratitude to the Petroleum Commission for their support. He explained that since its inception the Finance and Economics Clinic has trained numerous journalists, many of whom now lead their respective Business News desks. The ultimate goal of El de D Finance and Economic Clinic is to enhance journalists’ knowledge and confidence in the domain of business reporting; and they intend to persist until a critical mass of practitioners can confidently report on finance and economics-related subjects. He further mentioned that with support from institutions such as the World Bank, US Embassy, Newmont Ghana and others, significant progress has been made; but there is still much work to be done.
The training will span a two-month period, encompassing both in-person and virtual sessions. In addition, participants will be organised into a WhatsApp group for an extended two-month virtual mentoring programme.
