Intensify education on climate change, sustainable economy — Media told

The Ghanaian media has been urged to intensify public education on issues related to climate change and sustainable development as the country works towards transitioning to a green economy.

Speaking at a media sensitization workshop on Ghana's National Green Jobs Strategy at the Central Hotel in Accra on Thursday, January 24, Mrs Gloria Bortele Noi, Director of Public-Private Partnerships at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, emphasized the important role of the media in keeping Ghanaians informed.

"As concerned citizens, it is imperative that we remain well-informed about climate change and its adverse effect on our environment and wellbeing. The knowledge on the measures and strategies to combat climate change, will equip us to make informed decisions, especially in matters concerning the sustainability of the environment and labour market," she said.

Mrs Bortele Noi noted that climate change impacts from activities like illegal small-scale mining, known locally as 'galamsey', have worsened in Ghana in recent times.

She added that while climate response measures offer benefits, they can negatively impact jobs if not properly managed.

"A policy decision to limit the importation of fossil fuel vehicles in favour of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions could adversely affect mechanics specializing in fossil fuel vehicle repairs, rendering them jobless overnight. Hence, collaboration is crucial to mitigate job losses and maximize opportunities in adopting green technologies," the director intimated.

Gideon Mankralo of the International Labour Organization shed light on the impacts of climate change at the workshop.

In his presentation on "Climate Change and Just Transition", Mankralo noted that 700 million employed people globally live in extreme or moderate poverty.

He further stated that air pollution causes 4.2 million deaths worldwide every year while exposure to household smoke from dirty cooking stoves and fuels also leads to 3.8 million annual fatalities.

Human-induced climate disasters, meanwhile, take 23 million lives per year.

The ILO national project coordinator also warned that the collapse of fisheries due to climate impacts could result in the loss of 86 million jobs globally.

This, he said, underscores the importance of the attainment of a green economy through a just transition.

Amidu Dramani Musa from development partner SNV Ghana said his organization is sponsoring the national green jobs strategy program with €150,000 to aid efforts to educate Ghanaians about climate change responses and opportunities in green economic development.

Ghana's National Green Jobs Strategy aims to facilitate the transition to a green economy while minimizing job losses.

It focuses on developing green enterprises, skills training, and mobilizing finance for decent job creation with an extinated implementation fund of GHS76,676,000.

An estimated 18 million new "green jobs" could be created globally to replace jobs lost during the economic shift, according to Ernest Berko, Deputy Director of the Labour Ministry.

The media workshop is part of efforts to raise awareness about climate change challenges and opportunities in green economic development.