COP28: Lands Minister calls for increased investment in forest and nature financing

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, has expressed optimism that the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will serve as a pivotal moment to increase investments for the financing of initiatives centred on nature and forests.

That, he stated, would culminate in enhancing resilience to climate conditions by safeguarding and effectively managing forest ecosystems.

He said this at a high-level ministerial event at the COP28 underway in Dubai, on the theme: “Accelerating Forest and Nature Finance Towards 1.5 Degrees Celsius.”

The Lands Minister noted that forest and nature finance remain an essential condition to achieving and fulfilling the goal of the Paris Agreement, which encourages all nations to work towards reducing carbon emissions to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He stated the need to fulfil the promises and commitments made in dealing with the climate change danger, emphasising the need and urgency for increased efforts and decisive steps by world leaders to deal with the climate problem.

“I am hopeful that this event will mark a turning point for accelerated investment in forest and nature finance to build capacities towards safeguarding and managing our forest ecosystems. We must brainstorm, constructively, marked by shared commitments and dedication to action,” he said.

With Ghana being co-chair of the Forest & Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP), the Minister enumerated some innovations the government had made to position the country as a major contributor to global efforts in accelerating climate resilience.

Mr Jinapor mentioned the Green Ghana Project, the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme and alternative livelihood programmes supported by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility as some of the initiatives implemented by the government.

“In Ghana, over the past few years, we have had to expand our limited resources on the protection of our forests and the implementation of our aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme, including the flagship Green Ghana Project, under which some 42,000,000 trees have been planted over the last three years and the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, under which we have cultivated some 690,000 ha of degraded forest in just five years,” he stated

The Ministerial event is one of the activities lined up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to ensure that Ghana makes an able and impactful representation at COP28.