By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has launched the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) to combat climate change and increase access to sustainable energy.
The SEACAP document is a comprehensive strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing access to clean energy and building resilience against climate impacts while fostering sustainable economic growth.
“Developed in collaboration with the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), which is co-financed in a Team Europe Approach, by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Sekondi-Takoradi’s SEACAP presents a detailed blueprint aimed at reducing emissions, enhancing climate resilience and ensuring access to clean, affordable energy for all its residents by 2050,”said Abdul-Mumin Issah, Chief Executive Officer of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, at the launch in Takoradi.
He noted that climate change continues to be a pressing global challenge, which poses serious consequences worldwide; hence, the need for STMA’s efforts to take decisive actions to tackle the issue.
He pointed out that a research conducted during the preparation stage of the document revealed that greenhouse gas emissions per person in the metropolis was 26 percent of the global average.
These emissions, he said, originated from three main sectors; namely: 56 percent from stationary sources, 31 percent from waste, and 13 percent from mobile sources.
He said the study further indicated that without urgent and sustained interventions, Sekondi-Takoradi’s greenhouse gas emissions could rise by 40 percent in the next decade.
Therefore, he said SEACAP would serve as a strategic framework for sustainable and effective action, anchored on three core pillars; namely: climate mitigation, adaptation and sustainable energy access.
Mr. Issah reiterated that the document would guide the STMA to transform Sekondi-Takoradi into a smart, resilient and competitive metropolis driven by low-carbon transportation, sustainable waste management and renewable energy to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.
He was optimistic that the assembly would do everything in its power to fulfil the objectives outlined in the SEACAP to help establish Sekondi-Takoradi as a sustainable city for all.
“We are convinced that the commitment from CoM SSA has already inspired us and we will not relent at all to deliver the enviable results we all desire,” the MCE added.
Dr. Dirk Assman, GIZ Ghana Country Director, also said climate change remains one of the most pressing challenges of urban time; and through the SEACAP, STMA has set an example for others to follow.
According to him, the determination of STMA resound deeply with the goals of GIZ and the European Union (EU) in Ghana, noting: “They are committed to working together to ensure the targets in the document are met to help contribute to a greener and more sustainable future for all”.
“The launch of this document marks a significant milestone in STMA’s efforts to tackle climate change and its impacts in the metropolis,” he further commented.
Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, in a speech read for him, congratulated STMA for leading the charge against climate change in the metropolis and, by extension, the region.
He commended CoM SSA for supporting to develop the seacap.
Shea O’Neil, Country Manager for CoM SSA in Ghana, expressed satisfaction in supporting STMA in developing the SEACAP document to address climate change issues.
