By Kizito CUDJOE
President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on the private sector to actively support the 2024 Green Ghana campaign, emphasizing the vital role of forests in addressing the global environmental crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s campaign, the President stressed the need for collective action, particularly from the business community, to sustain the ambitious tree-planting initiative.
“Climate change remains the most pressing issue facing our planet, threatening the lives and livelihoods of our people,” Akufo-Addo said, referencing recent extreme weather events, including school closures in South Sudan due to heatwaves and fears that parts of the Horn of Africa could become uninhabitable.
He also noted the dire effects of pollution and biodiversity loss. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes 6.7 million deaths annually, with nine out of ten people breathing air with pollutant levels above WHO guidelines.
Additionally, biodiversity loss threatens ecosystems, leading to natural disasters and health crises.
“Forests play a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth,” Akufo-Addo stated, noting that agriculture, forestry, and land use activities contribute about 50 percent of Ghana’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Sustaining our forests and adopting sustainable agricultural practices are essential for combating climate change through carbon sequestration.”
Despite the importance of forests, deforestation remains a significant challenge. In 2023 alone, 3.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest were lost, impacting food security, sustainable communities, and national development efforts.
To this end, President Akufo-Addo reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 64 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 and enhancing climate resilience. He cited the “Resilient Ghana” Country Package, launched at COP28 in Dubai, which aims to advance nature-based industrialization, sustainable rural development, and green jobs.
The Green Ghana Project, part of Ghana’s contribution to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, he said, has already seen the planting of over 42 million trees in the past three years.
This year, the initiative aims to plant an additional 10 million trees, bringing the total to 52 million. This will be done under the theme “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow,” which “captures our collective aspiration to nurture our environment for future generations,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He called on all Ghanaians, from farmers to students, to participate in the tree-planting exercise and ensure the seedlings grow to maturity.
Emphasizing the need for private sector involvement, the President urged businesses to support the initiative without burdening public finances. “I call on the private sector to embrace this worthy project and commit resources to make it a success,” he said.
He commended the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, and his team for their dedication to the Green Ghana Project and initiatives like One Student One Tree, which educates young people on the importance of environmental stewardship.
“The Green Ghana Project is crucial to delivering on our national and international commitments to leave a greener and sustainable world for our children,” President Akufo-Addo stated. “Let us come together and sustain the gains we have made. This is a duty we owe to current and future generations.”
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, also speaking at the commemorative tree planting ceremony of the 2024 edition of the ‘Green Ghana Day,’ in Accra, said Ghana became one of few countries, alongside Brazil and Colombia, to record a decrease in the rate of deforestation.
Adding that “Our forest and nature-based climate efforts have received global recognition.”
Furthermore, he acknowledged that the Green Ghana Day has become one of the foremost initiatives towards restoration of our degraded forests, and a practical demonstration of the country’s commitment to nature-based climate solutions.
He announced that since the start of the planting exercise, they have consistently recorded an improvement in the survival rate, with the 67 percent survival rate in 2021 increasing to 72 percent in 2022 and 81 percent in 2023.
As part of the activities to mark the launch of the campaign, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also planted a mimusops elengi in a symbolic gesture at the seat of government, the Jubilee House, to encourage and promote the need to support the flagship tree planting initiative.
