By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Nov. 29, GNA – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with its partners have launched the “Abating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Obsolete RAC Equipment in Ghana and Nigeria” (AGORA) project in Ghana.
The project’s partners which include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Energy commission (EC) aims to accelerate the transition to energy-efficient and climate-friendly refrigerators and air conditioners (RAC) in Nigeria and Ghana.
This will improve the health and well-being of consumers and enhance economic opportunities and competitiveness of businesses, enhance electric grid stability, protect the ozone layer, and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
The launch brought together the Government, private sector partners, civil society organisations and local communities to innovate, implement, and cascade.
The project is funded by the French Government under the French fund for global environment and the Multilateral fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedou, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Ghana, said the project was evidence of the power of partnership, collective effort and shared commitment to advancing sustainable development and climate resilience.
He said the world today was faced with environmental insecurity and climate change issues, amidst development challenges, which required consented efforts to address them, with Ghana not being an exception.
“I therefore acknowledge the Government of Ghana for the tremendous strides in its climate change commitments including the promotion of energy efficiency for sustainable environmental preservation,” he added.
He said Ghana’s ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 2019 highlighted the country’s dedication to tackling this global issue.
The Resident Representative said this partnership with the EPA and EC has enhanced capacity building, provided high-quality equipment for eco-friendly technologies, and supported the development of regulatory frameworks for managing Ozone-Depleting.
“By prioritising energy efficiency, we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut energy costs, and enhance energy security,” he stressed.
He said they were choosing to create a pathway for inclusive and sustainable development, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 13: Climate Action.
Mr. Khoshmukhamedou said reaching these goals necessitated collaboration across all sectors and levels, both vertically and horizontally.
Mr. Joseph Baffoe, Head of Climate Change and Ozone Department, EPA, said Ghana had over the years, taken keen interest in issues related to the environment since environmental impacts more often than not, transcended national boundaries
He added that Ghana had ratified a number of international protocols on the environment, the protocol on ozone layer depletion and the Kigali amendment to the Montreal protocol.
Mr. Baffoe said Ghana, a signatory to the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment, has since implemented programs to reduce high global warming potential gases and mitigate climate change.
He said the EPA had implemented several projects, including the Institutional Strengthening and Hemp projects, aimed at transitioning the Ghanaian market to environmentally friendly refrigerant equipment and managing the disposal of used appliances.
Mr. Baffoe said Ghana, under its nationally determined contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was among the first nations to include the rice sector in its greenhouse gas mitigation strategy.
Additionally, he said Ghana had set a policy goal to ensure that 70 per cent of cooling appliances imported into the country were green by 2030.
GNA