C40 African Adaptation Forum Opens in Accra

The Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) is committed to ensuring that steps are taken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in Accra while developing and implementing frameworks and strategies to be climate change resilient.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA), Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who made the pledge, said the measures would enable the city of Accra adapt to the current changes in the environment and the undeniable effects of climate change.

Hon. Sowah stressed the need to equip cities with the right manpower, knowledge, systems, tools and resources to address the challenges of climate change in Africa.

The AMA CEO, who was speaking at the opening of a three-day forum on climate change in Africa in Accra on Tuesday, therefore, challenged city authorities to lead efforts to mitigate climate change.

The forum, dubbed: "C40 African Adaptation Forum", was organized by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and C40 Climate Leadership Group to provide a platform to exchange ideas on how cities can become efficient and resilient in the face of climate change.

Hon. Sowah disclosed that the AMA had completed its greenhouse gas inventory and that a number of projects had been initiated to address the root causes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Some of these, he said, were education; revision of processes in waste management with a focus on sound recovery and waste conversion; planning to encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy; promotion of green and open space development; and the review of the city's transportation and mobility structure.

The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, in his remarks, called for behaviour change in order to help mitigate effects of climate change in Africa.

In a statement, Mr Hastings Chikoko, C40 Regional Director for Africa, expressed the hope that the forum, the first C40 Forum in Accra, would go a long way to help address the impact of climate change in Africa.

C40 was created in 2005 by former London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, to help the leaders spearheading action at a local level to share policy and technology innovations with their counterparts across the globe.

Source: AMA (PR Unit)

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