Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Ghana’s Minister of Energy, has made a strong case for Africans to be supported in the collective effort to transition to the use of green energy.
He stated that Africans would prefer not to pollute the environment in their quest for development, but would be forced to do so if they could not afford cleaner energy.
He stated that the majority of people on the continent would not likely take any action to prevent them from using their natural resources to generate energy for their development.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh was a guest speaker at a forum held on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt in 2022.
He stated that affordable energy has become critical to development.
“Because energy is not a luxury but a right, a fundamental right and so governments must work to ensure that the whole population has access to energy to develop socio-economically,” he stated.
In a related development, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, world leaders took a bold step toward addressing the risks of water insecurity and water-related climate disasters (COP27).
It came after the launch of the Action on Water Adaptation or Resilience (AWARe), a campaign to promote inclusive cooperation to address water-related challenges in climate change adaptation.
The AWARe thrives on three action priorities, one of which is to reduce global water losses and improve water supply.
According to a Graphic.com.gh report, the initiative thrives on mutually agreed-upon policies and methods for collaborative water-related adaptation action and its co-benefits.
It also encourages collaboration and interconnections between water and climate action in order to achieve Agenda 2030, specifically SDG 6 (improved water and sanitation).