By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, June 9, GNA – Mr Seidu Issifu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, has called for urgent action on demand-side electrification, positioning it as both a climate necessity and a development imperative for Africa.
He made the call at a high-level side event during the Bonn Climate Change Conference addressing representatives from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the COP31 Presidency, development partners, and climate stakeholders in Bonn, Germany.
A statement issued to the Ghana News Agency, said the Minister emphasized that countries like Ghana, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, continued to face some of the harshest impacts of climate change.
He said for climate-vulnerable nations, electrification was no longer merely a technical energy transition strategy but a pathway to resilience, economic transformation, and survival.
Mr. Issifu noted that while the global community had established ambitious goals through the UAE Consensus and the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF) roadmap, implementation remained uneven, particularly in regions where energy access challenges persisted.
He said Africa faced the unique task of simultaneously expanding energy access and building the clean energy systems of the future.
The Minister highlighted that electricity currently accounted for only 23 per cent of global final energy consumption, and that to remain aligned with the 1.5°C climate target; this figure must increase significantly over the coming decades.
“For Africa, where electrification rates remain comparatively low, the transition represents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity to leapfrog traditional energy pathways,” he added.
He stressed that future energy planning must anticipate emerging demand patterns, particularly in rapidly urbanizing and warming regions.
He identified cooling demand as one of the most significant drivers of future electricity consumption across West Africa, and that as temperatures rise and populations grow, cooling technologies would become essential for public health, productivity, and economic development.
Mr. Issifu said Ghana, as a signatory to the Global Cooling Pledge, recognized that cooling should not be viewed solely as an additional burden on electricity systems.
“Instead, with the right infrastructure and policies, cooling technologies can become valuable flexibility assets that help stabilise power grids and improve energy efficiency,” he added.
He said strategic investments today could prevent much higher costs associated with retrofitting systems in the future.
The Minister underscored that for Ghana and many countries across West Africa, modern and resilient grids would determine whether industrial growth and clean energy adoption could be achieved at scale.
Mr. Issifu referenced the country’s estimated need for over USD 22 billion in climate resilience and adaptation financing by 2030.
While acknowledging recent progress, including the securing of USD 21.8 million from the World Bank for carbon reduction and forest restoration initiatives, he emphasized that financing mechanisms must evolve.
“Ghana intends to position flexible demand, including cooling systems, as a strategic resource within its energy transition framework,” he said.
The Minister reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to demonstrating how demand-side planning, institutional strengthening, and targeted investments could deliver meaningful climate and development outcomes across Africa.
He called on the COP31 Presidency, IRENA, UNEP, and international partners to place demand-side flexibility at the heart of global electrification strategies.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei