By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, Oct. 25, GNA – The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has launched the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) to fight climate change and its associated effects within the Metropolis.
The SEACAP document is designed to address Sekondi-Takoradi’s climate and energy challenges through a comprehensive strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing access to clean energy, and building resilience against climate impacts, all while fostering sustainable economic growth.
The document is a collaborative effort between the STMA, and Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), with PSS Urbania as the local consultant who conducted a review of all existing climate change data and consulted households and key stakeholders to prepare the SEACAP.
In Ghana, CoM SSA project is co-funded by the European Union and the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Mr Abdul-Mumin Issah, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), who launched the SEACAP document, in Takoradi, said climate change remained a pressing global challenge which posed dire consequences worldwide, hence, the Assembly’s efforts to take decisive actions to tackle the issue.
According to him, research conducted during the preparation stage of the document revealed that greenhouse gas emissions per person in Sekondi-Takoradi was 26 per cent of the global average.
The MCE noted these emissions originated from three main sectors, namely; 56 per cent from stationery sources, 31 per cent waste, and 13 per cent from mobile sources.
Mr Issah stated that the study indicated that without urgent and sustained interventions, Sekondi-Takoradi’s greenhouse gas emissions could rise by 40 per cent in the next decade.
He said the SEACAP would, therefore, serve as a strategic framework for sustainable and effective action, anchored on three core pillars, namely; climate mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable energy access.
He explained that the document would guide the Assembly to transform Sekondi-Takoradi into a smart, resilient, and competitive metropolis, driven by low-carbon transportation, sustainable waste management, and renewable energy to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050.
Mr Issah gave the assurance that the STMA would do everything in its power to fulfil the objectives outlined in the SEACAP to help establish Sekondi-Takoradi as a sustainable city for all.
He expressed gratitude to CoM SSA/GIZ for assisting the STMA to develop the SEACAP document, saying, “We are convinced that the commitment from CoM SSA has already inspired us, and we will not relent at all to deliver the enviable results we all desire.”
Dr Dirk Assman, GIZ Ghana Country Director, said the launch of the document marked a significant milestone in the STMA’s efforts to tackle climate change and its impacts in the city of Sekondi-Takoradi.
He said: “Climate change remains one of the most pressing challenges of urban time, and through the SEACAP, STMA sets an example for others to follow, showing that local action can have a global impact.”
He said the ambitions of the STMA resonated deeply with the goals of GIZ and the European Union in Ghana, and that they were committed to working together to ensure the targets in the document were met to help contribute to a greener and more sustainable future for all.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf congratulated the STMA for leading the charge against climate change in the Metropolis and by extension the region.
Ms Shea O’Neil, Country Manager for CoM SSA in Ghana, expressed delight for supporting the STMA to craft the SEACAP document to help address the climate change issues within the Metropolis.
GNA