On November 30 through December 12, 2023, Ghana will be participating in the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In light of this, ABANTU for Development, a non-governmental organisation, has held a forum to inform the Ghanaian government of some of the things it should demand when it participates in this year’s conference.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the forum, Director of Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Peter J. Dery, explained that attending this conference will afford participating countries that have signed the global treaty on climate change the opportunity to deliberate on the implementation of the treaty, as to what they discussed in previous years, what they have been able to do, and the new things that need to be done to help reduce or lessen the effects of climate change on the nations.
Dr. Dery said that apart from the main negotiations that the parties would be engaged in, attendees will be exposed to other events that will provide them with further information about how other jurisdictions are handling the climate change situation.
“But in addition to the strict negotiations among the countries, which we normally refer to as the parties, there are also other events, such as sight events, pavilion events, and exhibitions, where other people are also able to participate and learn much about what countries are doing.”
“You are able to meet investors there, strike deals, and bring projects into the country. Foreign direct investments can come through these processes,” he added.
He highlighted the potential for candidates to showcase their activities, such as addressing climate change, through a pavilion and engaging activities, which can attract their foreign counterparts to Ghana and ultimately lead to their decision to collaborate with Ghanaians on climate change issues.
“And then it also offers an opportunity for candidates to showcase what things they are doing, so for example, how can we tell the world what we are doing when it comes to climate change? This is an opportunity, so we go as a country, set up our pavilion, and carry out the number of activities people come to listen to and get to know Ghana. This is what they are doing, and then they take the decision to come to Ghana to do what they want, so these are some of the benefits. It starts from the global level and later descends to the local level,” he furthered.
Dr. Dery also touched on “energy transition”, stating that developed countries want Ghana and Africa to transition, but Africans lack the necessary skills for this transition. He noted that the “energy transition” was among the issues that would be discussed at the conference.
