President outlines inclusive energy transition agenda for Ghana

President John Dramani Mahama has urged African nations to rethink their development strategies by building frameworks that prioritise local empowerment, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

He made the call while addressing participants at the ESG Summit in Accra on September 1, 2025, where he emphasised that Africa must “chart its own course” in tackling pressing environmental and economic challenges.

Delivering a speech on his behalf, the Director of Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy said, “This summit highlights ESG reporting, sustainable growth, and the EU taxonomy plan, underscoring the urgent need for an Africa-led rethink of the continent’s development.”

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“We must build economic frameworks grounded in local empowerment and appropriate sustainable technologies,” he added.

Outlining Ghana’s vision, the President said the country is pursuing energy security, industrial decarbonization, renewable energy expansion, nuclear readiness, and universal energy access.

“Our focus on clean cooking solutions and decentralized energy systems ensures no one is left behind,” he stated.

He also announced Ghana’s national ESG and Climate Disclosure Roadmap, which he said would standardise sustainability reporting across all sectors.

“Transparency remains vital through robust sustainability reporting aligned with global standards, supported by innovative finance mechanisms like green bonds and sustainability-linked financing,” he noted.

The President further revealed that Ghana is developing an Energy Transition Investment Pipeline and a Sustainable Finance Framework to guide green investments and combat greenwashing.

“Capacity building and data infrastructure investment are needed to equip stakeholders to implement ESG effectively,” he explained.

Touching on continental priorities, he reminded leaders that while the African Union has not yet created a unified taxonomy framework similar to the European Union’s, Agenda 2063 provides a strong foundation.

“This guides our continent toward economic integration and sectoral advancement across agriculture, trade, energy, mining, and infrastructure, ensuring development that is both sustainable and inclusive,” he stressed.

SSD/MA

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