Ghana calls for Africa to turn climate ambition into investment and delivery
Ghana has called on African leaders to turn the continent’s shared climate position into greater negotiating strength, investment and action that improves people’s lives.
Speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on Tuesday, September, 2026, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability Seidu Issifu said Africa must enter the next round of global climate negotiations with a clear mandate and a united voice.
“Our task today is not simply to restate Africa’s climate vulnerabilities. It is to convert Africa’s common position into common power: negotiating power, investment power and, above all, implementation power,” he said.
The Minister urged African leaders to press for COP31 to deliver practical outcomes on adaptation, loss and damage, and climate finance.
He said those negotiations would determine whether farmers can withstand drought, coastal communities can survive flooding, and young Africans can find dignified green jobs.
Climate finance, he argued, must be accessible, predictable and concessional, and must respond to national priorities without pushing countries deeper into debt.
He called for a stronger African position that connects those demands to investment in renewable energy, resilient infrastructure and green industry.
Issifu also challenged a view of Africa defined solely by climate vulnerability. With its renewable energy resources, strategic minerals, forests, agricultural potential and young population, he said, the continent has the capacity to build competitive low-carbon economies and create value at home.
Meanwhile on carbon markets, the Minister called for systems that protect environmental integrity while delivering fair returns to African countries and communities.
Carbon finance, he said, should strengthen national capacity and support investment in forests, clean energy, sustainable transport and climate-smart agriculture.
He further urged leaders to leave New York with a shared political mandate for COP31 and to arrive at COP32 with evidence of progress: investment mobilised, resilience strengthened, industries transformed and opportunities created for African people.
“Africa does not come to the global climate table asking for charity,” he said. “We come with assets, solutions, markets and ambition for investment and delivery,” he ended
Ghana has called on African leaders to turn the continent’s shared climate position into greater negotiating strength, investment and action that improves people’s lives.