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Ghana’s Parliament To Ratify Agreement To Save Planet Next Month

By R. Harry Reynolds
Ghanas Parliament To Ratify Agreement To Save Planet Next Month
25.04.2016 LISTEN

Ghana’s Parliament will next month have the opportunity to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change which seeks to save the planet.

The Agreement which was signed on behalf of Ghana by the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Ms. Hanna Serwaah Tetteh and heads of governments of 170 other countries, last Friday will expect each country to make voluntary national commitments to limit global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. It also binds countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

Mr. Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation disclosed the date when he presented a National statement during the signing ceremony of theAgreement at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Already the Minister explained that efforts are underway to mainstream both the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals into the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda and the 40 years national development plan of Ghana currently under preparation.

He said that there is a communication plan to ensure national ownership at the very local level and across sectors – governmental agencies, academia, civil society, private sector and communities.

"We have prepared an investment plan and prioritized the areas of Partnership for Early Action on Ghana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) – action in the energy and agricultural sectors with additional emphasis on forestry and resilient landscapes. This has to be a partnership at all levels. From the grassroots with communities and civil society and local authorities to sub-national and national levels with development partners and the private sector right through to the global level”, he stated.

Aside all the talks, Mr. Ayariga pointed out that " It is time to step out there, roll our sleeves and get to work to make it happen. We each individually have to do our part and collectively it will happen" saying that "We ask that these commitments should not join the wastebasket o broken promises. Enabling our individual nations of the global south to respect and deliver on our commitments should shape multi and bi-lateral development cooperation going".

The event set a world record of having the largest number of countries ever to sign an international agreement on a single day.

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