Accra to unveil Climate Change Action Plan October 21

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will on Wednesday 21st October launch the city's first Climate Action Plan (CAP), a set of bold actions and targets aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change in the city.

The Plan which is the second to be launched in Africa maps out the path that city authorities, citizens and businesses must take to achieve transformational action to ensure carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2020 consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Chief Executive of the AMA, Mohammed Adjei Sowah made this known on Tuesday at the opening of the 2020 Regional budget hearing of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) at the Accra City Hall.

He expressed the Assembly's commitment towards minimising air pollution in the city, adding that the assembly through concerted efforts had embarked on several climate change interventions such as the adoption and greening of open spaces within the city.

“Having a green compound is a conscious effort to enhance air quality, that is why we have adopted some open spaces in the city to enhance the quality of the air we breathe in,” he said.

He encouraged residents of Accra and the entire citizenry to cultivate the habit of greening their environment by either engaging in backyard and roof gardening, tree planting among others since these would go a long-way in addressing climate change issues.

Accra’s ambitious plan sets out how the city will take action to help to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above the average pre-industrial temperature, and to protect its people and systems from the impacts of climate change that are already locked in as a result of historical emissions.

Describing the CAP as the City’s “blueprint” to mitigate the impact of climate change, Mayor Sowah said the Assembly prioritised bold, transformative actions in the electricity and transport sectors while striving to promote affordable, clean energy and transportation for poor and disadvantaged communities.

Through its partnership with the C40 Leadership Group, Accra will become the second city on the African continent and one of only 13 cities in the world to develop and adopt a Climate Action Plan which is aligned to the United Nations 2015 Paris Agreement which the Government of Ghana is a signatory.