By Stanley Senya
Accra, June 20, GNA – Miss Glory Emmanuella Appiah, National Coordinator of Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM), has called on political parties to include climate agendas in their manifesto as part of the upcoming 2024 elections to combat climate crisis.
She said climate issues had become an increasingly complex subject around the world, especially in Ghana, where the environment had been affected by many human activities such as illegal mining, bush fires and cutting down of trees.
Miss Appiah made the call at the Climate for Peace Dialogue and Kokuromotie for Climate Awards in Accra.
This, she said, government must prioritize environmental protection and invest to create awareness to prevent or improvise these activities to protect the planet for survival.
She said by putting climate actions in their manifesto, it would enable them implement these activities in one way or the another and also allow citizens to hold them accountable to fight climate change.
“We must and ask for a green Ghana from our politicians and task them for its implementation,” she added.
She said the increase of food prices lied on the effect of climate change, however, practicing environmental protection would help preserve the lands for farming.
The National Coordinator said most of Ghana’s economic crisis were mostly caused by climate change, stressing on the need to protect farms, build storage facilities and improve upon processing industries.
Miss Appiah urged the youth to hold political leaders, especially Members of Parliament accountable on climate change actions, adding that the youth must take up mandates to educate communities on these.
Miss Efua Nyamekye Appiah of the Youth Climate Council, reminded the youth that the sustainable development of the lied in their hands, saying they must be vigilant and steadfast against climate crisis.
She urged the youth to move to the communities and educate young people on effects of climate change on the country and the world as a whole.
She said excessive burning, fumes from vehicles and smokes from industrial plants were common among depletion of the ozone layer, causing excessive heat and un-uniform temperatures, hence, we must curtail or minimize bush burning and recycle waste materials.
She said climate change should be introduced in the country’s educational curriculum for effective empowerment among students and youth.
She said there should be incentives for climate change fighters to enable them advance their advocacy to attain large numbers of climate protectors.
GYEM called on government to prioritise climate change in their policies and ensure budget allocations to fight the rising of global warming.
GNA