The Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has urged industrialised countries to assist developing countries such as Ghana in meeting their net-zero objectives.
According to the Minister, this can be done by developed countries fulfilling funding vows they made to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Minister made the plea at a panel discussion on Funding Resilience: ‘Post-COP28 Path Forward for Loss and Damage’.
Dr. Prempeh stated that developing nations face challenges in attaining the SDG7 goal of delivering clean and cheap energy by 2030 due to the significant financial investment required. He added that energy is the lifeline of any economy, and Africa must have enough of it to promote its socio-economic growth and improve the welfare of its citizens.
“Our right to develop our energy resources for the benefit of our people must therefore be respected and with no interference” Dr Opoku Prempeh said.
“We recognize that the electricity, cooking and transportation sectors are key areas in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Consequently, steps must be taken to transition these sectors towards a net-zero emissions future” he added.
He continued, “to attain this, we must transition to the production and utilization of clean energy and the implementation of measures to mitigate any emissions that occur in the process. This will ensure that we contribute our quota to the reduction of global GHG emissions, and more importantly, achieve decarbonization, energy access, security, and efficiency”
Source: Energy Ghana