Ghana remains resolute and committed to the promotion of sustainable and environmentally responsive transport system as part of measures that can guarantee net zero emission in future.
The Deputy Minister for Transport, Frederick ObengAdom, announced at a stakeholders’ meetingin Kumasi on Tuesday.
It was held on the theme;“National energy transition plan: moving Ghana towards a net-zero future”.
He explained the forum aimed at soliciting ideas from the participants to enable government draw an effective plan towards achieving a net zero emission in the future, in the face of growing impact of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions,so as to meet international goals.
It also aimed at the technological shift from petrol and diesel fuel.
According to him, “these interventions would serve as an important leverage to set the tone for gradual de-carbonisation of the road transport sector.
To this end, government is developing an E-Mobility policy to guide the deployment and scale up of electricvehicles in the country.
MrAdom said currently, work was ongoing to introduce the first ever battery and gas powered buses for public transportation.
Available data at the Driver Vehicle and License Authority (DVLA),according to the Deputy Minister, indicated that out of 2.8 million registered vehicles as at 2021, 72 per cent are powered by petrol engines, 27 per cent by diesel engines and one per cent by LPG, making the transport sector a net emitter of greenhouse gases.
He was of the view that the country has the opportunity to implement fundamental changes to the transportation of goods and people to propel the development agenda towards a result oriented, climate resilient and sustainable development.
Mr Obeng noted that globally, countries were responding to the call for net zero emission, emphasising that while Europe was working to stop the production of diesel cars by 2030, the United Kingdom aimed at achieving net zero emission by 2050, and Norway which relies heavily on oil and gas revenues, targeting to stop the sale of fossil fuel powered cars.
“These developments have implications on our domestic markets and we need to realign our focus to guarantee transparent, efficient and sustainable development,” he said.
Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Minister of Energy, on his part called on Ghanaians to take the forum seriously and share their views on how Ghana should carry out its transition plan.
He said the big oil companies in the world were pulling off their investments in oil production.
Mr Adam explained in spite of that, natural gas production would continue, and that should form part of the transition plan of Ghana.
He said Ghana could not isolate herself from the rest of the world and therefore the need for the transition plan.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE,KUMASI