By Hafsa Obeng/Jessica Dele Akakpo, GNA
Accra, Feb. 26, GNA – Local Government assemblies should enact policies that would encourage developers of estates and road projects to integrate climate smart innovations and technologies and renewal resources in their structures to deal with climate change.
Building regulations should, therefore, promote practices such as the use of rooftop solar panels to reduce the power load on the national grid and the mass planting of trees and grass for rain water to sink instead of flooding.
The recommendations were made by 350 G-ROC, a formal network of youth groups that advocate reduction in Ghana’s carbon emissions and promote renewable resources as a key effort to combat climate change.
The Network is, therefore, helping five Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to integrate renewable energy agenda in their annual activity plan and their Medium term Development Plans, through workshops, which bring together stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors.
Addressing the workshop jointly organised with the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Nii Amankwah Addo, the network’s Lead Coordinator for the area’s Project, said it was imperative to assist the local government assemblies because they could influence actions at the grassroots towards sustainable development.
“As part of the decentralisation governance system, the Municipal and District Assemblies have been identified as the institutional drivers of development at the local level to cumulatively reflect a national picture of development.”
“Considering that the Assembly is a regulatory body, it would be appropriate for them to consider climate change issues in granting building permits,” he emphasised.
The other beneficiaries are Ayawaso West, Accra Metropolitan, Ashaiman and the Amasaman Assemblies.
Nii Addo said the workshops enabled the participants to join their efforts to re-plan and find ways of financing climate smart innovations and technologies to enhance development.
Ghana was a party to a number of regional and global conventions or protocols, which were expected to reflect in national development agenda, he said.
“Government has developed a renewable energy master plan, which aims to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the national energy generation mix, reduce the dependence on biomass as main fuel for thermal energy applications, provide renewable energy-based decentralised electrification options and promote local content and local participation in the renewable energy industry”.
Madam Rebecca Anan, Development Planning Officer, ADMA, said the Assembly had within a few years put in place some renewable energy plans, including the integration of solar energy into all infrastructure projects, promotion of waste segregation and organised waste for wealth creation awareness competitions.
“The Assembly has organised practical training for selected youth and staff in green house technology, we have had public education for residents and public schools on climate change, embarking on tree planting exercises, among others.”
She said some challenges faced by the Assembly include cost of installation, maintenance of solar infrastructure, inadequate bins, ineffective recycling plants, unimpressive attitudes towards waste segregation.
“In order to achieve their target, the assembly would intensify public education on waste segregation, secure enough waste bins, incorporate renewable strategies in projects and programs, establish a recycling plant and build the capacity of staff.”
GNA