By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
President of Climate Communications and Local Governance-Africa (CCLGA), Mr. Kofi Don-Agor, has called on the government to join forces with private organisations and individuals to scale up climate friendly initiatives, policies, and projects such as the Green Ghana Day (GGD) to combat climate change and environmental degradation.
According to him, though the annual tree planting campaign is catching up with some youth groups and organisations, more effort is required to protect the millions of trees Ghanaians plant yearly on GGD are properly nurtured and pruned, as well as deploying technology for monitoring their growth to ensure that these young trees grow into strong, healthy forests.
The President of CCLGA, in a statement issued, Wednesday, 5, June 2024, said the theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations, “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore,” resonates deeply with members of his organisation as they strive to revitalise activities geared towards the sustainability of the environment and combat climate change.
“Trees are the lungs of our planet, providing oxygen and supporting life on earth. They play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, absorb carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. However, the alarming rate of deforestation and forest degradation threatens the very existence of our planet. It is our collective responsibility to nurture the trees we plant, deploy technology for monitoring, and take pro-active steps against climate change.
Climate change poses a significant threat to our planet, exacerbating extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss. We must take bold, proactive steps to reduce our carbon footprint, transition to renewable energy sources, and promote sustainable land use practices. This includes adopting climate-smart agriculture, reducing waste, and encouraging eco-friendly consumption patterns,” Portions of the statement read.
