Issifu Seidu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, has expressed concern over the failure of world leaders to adequately address climate change.
He said the lack of decisive global action continued to undermine progress made by countries like Ghana, which are actively implementing climate policies to reduce emissions and build resilience.
Speaking at a High-Level Technical Convening on Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) in Accra, the Minister noted that although Ghana is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the global trend remains in the opposite direction.
He said the implementation of policies and programmes such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as well as Ghana’s focus on increasing renewable energy to 20 per cent, was supporting the country’s climate efforts while pursuing its economic targets.
“Yet, even as countries like Ghana take action, the global picture remains deeply concerning. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. In 2024, global temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The “United Nations Environment Programme’s recent Emissions Gap Report projects up to 2.8 degrees of warming by the end of the century. This gap between ambition and reality underscores the scale of the challenge before us,” he added.
Mr Seidu noted that Ghana and other African countries bear the brunt of climate change despite contributing less to global carbon emissions.
He said millions of Africans, including Ghanaians, were being displaced by climate change, with many more projected to fall into poverty due to its impact.
“Beyond agriculture, the impacts extend across our society. Our health systems are under increasing strain from heat-related illnesses, the spread of vector-borne diseases, and rising nutrition insecurity. In northern Ghana, heat-related mortality is already a significant concern.
“Flooding and extreme weather events are damaging infrastructure and disrupting economic activity. Without adequate adaptation and resilience measures, it is estimated that climate impacts could push at least one million more Ghanaians into poverty by 2050,” he stressed.
The Minister said while discussions on climate solutions were increasingly pointing to Solar Radiation Modification (SRM)—which involves reflecting portions of incoming solar radiation to reduce global temperature increases—the approach does not address the root causes of global warming.
He added that although Ghana and the African continent oppose the use of SRM due to its potential risks and limitations, it remains important to build knowledge and capacity to engage constructively in global discussions with far-reaching implications.
The convening brought together members of the diplomatic corps, scientists, researchers, and policy experts from across Africa.
Participants were taken through the concept of SRM, its types, tools used for modification, and potential impacts.
Researchers from across the continent also presented findings on the impact of climate change in their respective countries.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com