Accra, Sept. 23, GNA – Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has urged African nations to close ranks and strengthen solidarity in global climate negotiations, stressing that a united front is essential to securing climate justice for the continent.
She said Africa remained the most vulnerable continent to the impacts of climate change, although it contributed the least to the problem.
“Here in Ghana, the effects are evident: unpredictable rainfall is reshaping farming cycles, coastal erosion is threatening communities in Keta, Ada, and beyond, and biodiversity loss is weakening the very ecosystems that sustain our people,” she stated.
Prof. Klutse was speaking at the opening of a four-day Francophone Women Climate Negotiators’ Capacity-Building Workshop, jointly organised by the EPA and the Institut de la Francophonie pour le Développement Durable (IFDD) in Accra.
The workshop brings together women negotiators from across Francophone Africa to build advanced skills in diplomacy, technical analysis, and strategy for international climate negotiations.
Highlighting Ghana’s commitment to climate governance, Prof. Klutse pointed to the passage of the Environmental Protection Authority Act 1124 (2024), which strengthened the Authority’s mandate to drive both national and international climate action.
She underscored the importance of women’s leadership in climate processes, describing them as “key actors in resilience, innovation, and community mobilisation.”
“By equipping Francophone women negotiators with advanced skills in diplomacy, strategy, and technical analysis, this workshop ensures that Africa speaks with a stronger, more representative voice at COP30 in Belém and beyond,” she said.
Prof. Klutse stressed that climate change was not just about numbers and emissions, but about people, livelihoods, and justice. She encouraged participants to use the workshop to strengthen Africa’s bargaining power, particularly in securing scaled-up climate finance, fair carbon markets, and advancing locally led adaptation.
Mr. Maher Kheir, Ambassador of Lebanon and President of the Francophone Ambassadors Group, described women as indispensable architects of climate solutions.
He said the initiative had already empowered hundreds of women over the years, enabling them to enter negotiation halls “not as silent observers, but as confident leaders.”
“And now, each of you will carry forward that legacy, ensuring that the voices of the vulnerable, the excluded, and future generations are heard in the global arena,” he stated.
Mr. Kheir added that true climate action would only succeed when women stood at the centre of decision-making, and when global partnerships continued to strengthen capacity, trust, and ambition.
“To the participants, the world is watching, the climate crisis is accelerating, the negotiations ahead will be tough, but your determination must be tougher,” he urged.
He called for the gathering in Accra to be remembered “not just as an event but as a milestone in the journey toward inclusive climate governance.”
GNA
Christian Akorlie