Green Ghana Day is a hope for climate action - President Akufo-Addo says as Ghana goes planting

The President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has set the ball rolling for a series of planting exercises to take place all over the country to mark the 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day on the theme: Our Forests, Our Health"

As part of measures to restore lost forest cover, and halt climate change, the President said Green Ghana Day is a day of hope for climate change.

He said "it is evident to us all, we are living in a time of unprecedented global environmental challenges that threaten our existence as a people and the fate of our planet".

The climate crisis, the President noted is affecting health, livelihoods, security, and our future, and remains the major obstacle to sustainable development. And anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions continue to be the major driver of this crisis.

His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo however assured that Government remains fully committed to protecting the environment and the people of Ghana and also contribute to global efforts to halt climate change.

"Government will, therefore, continue to explore all avenues to enhance our forest cover through afforestation and reforestation programs and protect our natural resources through community-based management and conservation initiatives"

"We recognize that this global crisis requires collective, ambitious, and meaningful efforts from all countries. We have, therefore, committed, under our enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by some 64 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, and enhance our resilience and adaptation to climate change, by improving early warning systems, promoting climate-smart agriculture, restoring degraded lands, and protecting coastal zones" the President stressed.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor in his speech was confident that this year's Green Ghana Day will be a Grand Sucess with a downsized target of 10 million to ensure that more attention is given to nurturing trees planted in previous years.

He charged Ghanaians towards the planting exercise saying "all we require from Ghanaians is to come out, pick up seedlings, plant and nurture to maturity"