UG, AC4NCA Forge Climate Partnership for Sustainable Development

The University of Ghana (UG) is set to collaborate with the Africa Centre for Nature-Based Climate Action (AC4NCA), a climate-focused non-governmental organisation, to strengthen climate research, policy advocacy and public engagement.

The proposed partnership reflects a shared commitment to positioning nature-based solutions as a central pillar of Ghana’s and Africa’s development, rather than a secondary environmental concern.

With climate impacts intensifying across Ghana and the continent, the collaboration highlights the growing recognition that universities and civil society must work together to influence policy, shape public discourse and deliver practical, locally grounded solutions.

The initiative follows a meeting held last Monday between the university’s management and the AC4NCA board.

The AC4NCA delegation was led by its Board Chairperson, Rev. Dr Joyce Rosaline Aryee, while the university was represented by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo.

Professor Amfo described the engagement as timely and aligned with the university’s strategic direction, noting that it reinforces UG’s commitment to research excellence, knowledge transfer and policy relevance.

“The University of Ghana values partnerships that speak directly to national and continental development priorities. Climate change, sustainability and resilience are areas where universities must work closely with civil society and policy actors to generate impact,” she said.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gordon Awandare, reaffirmed the university’s readiness to pursue concrete research and policy-oriented initiatives with AC4NCA, stressing that climate research and sustainability are core pillars of UG’s strategic plan.

He highlighted the university’s work under the Collaborative on Climate Resilience and Sustainability (UG-CCReS), supported by the Mastercard Foundation, which focuses on research, policy dialogue and inclusion, particularly for young women and persons with disabilities.

Rev. Dr Aryee outlined AC4NCA’s mandate, which promotes nature-based solutions through policy advocacy, research, ecosystem restoration and environmental education, including wetlands protection, sustainable forestry and landscape-level interventions.

“Nature-based solutions are essential development tools that can restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity and create sustainable livelihoods, especially for vulnerable communities,” she said.

She also congratulated Prof. Amfo on her appointment as Chair of the Council of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, describing it as a milestone for Ghana and Africa.

A major outcome of the meeting was a proposal to jointly organise a high-level public lecture on Nature-Based Solutions, aimed at exploring how such approaches can be integrated into national planning, infrastructure investment and climate finance.

AC4NCA board member Kwaku Sakyi-Addo said the lecture would seek to reframe nature-based solutions as critical development infrastructure and examine governance and financing pathways for scaling impact across Africa.