Ghana reaffirms support for youth-led climate action at 5th LCOY
The Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Baba Issifu has reaffirmed government’s support for youth-led climate action, describing young people as key drivers of solutions and innovation in Ghana’s climate response.
In a speech delivered on his behalf at the opening of the 5th Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY Ghana 2025) on Friday in Accra, the Minister stressed that commitments under the Paris Agreement would amount to little unless young people were empowered to lead their implementation.
He emphasised that although Ghana has made strong commitments through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), it is now time to assess progress, make adjustments where needed, and equip young people to drive implementation with innovation and resilience.
“Ghana has made bold commitments through NDCs, but commitments alone are not enough. We must review, reset and most importantly, empower our young people to lead with energy, creativity and resilience, “he added.
He pledged government’s support to ensure that commitments translate into concrete action for a sustainable and resilient future.
On the sidelines of the conference, he commended the launch of the Ghana Youth Climate Action Roadmap (GYCAR), describing it as a vital framework for embedding youth priorities into national climate strategies and amplifying Ghana’s voice at COP30.
The convener for LCOY, Mr Noah Bugre said over the past five years, LCOY Ghana has evolved from a youth dialogue platform into a recognised national forum for climate advocacy.
He said the GYCAR, a five-year framework developed through youth-led consultations across 12 regions of the country preparations have also begun towards drafting Ghana’s 5th National Youth Climate Statement for Presentation at COP30.
Mr Bugre called on young people to reset the country’s climate agenda and actively participate in shaping policies for a sustainable future.
The conference, held on the theme “Review, Reset: Empowering Youth for Ghana’s Climate Future,” brought together youth leaders, development partners, government agencies and civil society actors to review progress and chart new pathways for climate action.
It was jointly hosted by the United Nations Youth Initiative on Climate Change (UNIYIA), Gen Green Consult, with support from IOM, UNDP, ILO, YOTA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),the National Youth Authority (NYA) Climate Watch and the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
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