President Akufo-Addo Advocates for a Greener Future on Green Ghana Day 2024

 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday, June 7, led a nation wide tree planting exercise at Burma Camp, Accra, as part of the 2024 Green Ghana Day celebrations.

Addressing a gathering of dignitaries, officials, and citizens, the President highlighted the urgency of combating climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, and stressed the essential role forests play in this endeavor.

President Akufo-Addo pointed to the severe effects of climate change, citing extreme heatwaves in South Sudan and the Horn of Africa that threaten human habitation. He noted that air pollution is responsible for approximately 6.7 million deaths annually, and biodiversity loss continues to endanger ecosystems worldwide.

“Science shows that forests are crucial for sustaining life on earth and addressing the triple planetary crises,” the President said. He explained that Agriculture, Forest, and Land Use (AFOLU) activities are significant contributors to Ghana’s greenhouse gas emissions. Preserving forests is vital for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and pollution control.

Since the Green Ghana Project began, over 42 million trees have been planted, with a goal to plant another 10 million in 2024, bringing the total to 52 million trees in four years. This initiative aligns with Ghana’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 64 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

President Akufo-Addo urged all Ghanaians to embrace the theme of this year’s Green Ghana Day, “Growing for a Greener Tomorrow,” and participate in the national tree planting exercise. He emphasized the importance of nurturing the planted trees to maturity to achieve a sustainable future.

He also called on the private sector to support this initiative, ensuring it does not burden the public treasury. He commended the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, for his leadership in sustaining the Green Ghana Project and the One Student One Tree initiative, which promotes environmental stewardship among the youth.

Concluding his speech, the President called for collective efforts to sustain the gains made over the past three years. “Let us go out, not only to plant trees, but to grow them for a ‘Green Tomorrow.’ This is a duty we owe to both current and future generations,” he declared.

Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, praised President Akufo-Addo’s unwavering support for the Green Ghana initiative. He highlighted the President’s leadership in environmental protection and forest restoration since the program’s inception in 2021.

Minister Jinapor thanked the Ghana Armed Forces for their critical role in the program’s success, especially in logistics and distribution of seedlings. He announced that they planted over 1,000 tree seedlings as part of the 2024 Green Ghana Day.

The Minister outlined Ghana’s significant achievements in global forest management and climate action. At COP26 in Glasgow, Ghana played a key role in the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. This leadership has led to Ghana co-chairing the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) alongside the United States, aiming to balance forest protection with food production and advance nature-based climate solutions.

Minister Jinapor noted that Ghana was the second country in Africa and the third globally to receive results-based payments from the World Bank’s Carbon Fund for reducing emissions. “The Green Ghana Day has become a cornerstone of these efforts, with the survival rate of planted trees increasing significantly each year, from 67% in 2021 to 81% in 2023,” he added.

The Minister called on all Ghanaians to support the initiative, ensuring adequate seedlings are available across the country and measures are in place to ensure high survival rates for the planted trees. He echoed the President’s call for collective action to secure a greener and more sustainable future for the country and the planet.

CEO of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey, expressed his gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for his immense support and guidance over the four years of Green Ghana Day and applauded Minister Jinapor for his excellent leadership in the success of this cause.