The Green Africa Youth Organization, GAYO has launched a national climate action plan that will speak demands of young people in the climate conscious awareness creation.
This action was launched at this year’s Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY),2023 which also marks the 3rd edition of the gathering.
LCOY Ghana, is an initiative of YOUNGO, the official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC. The conference as mandated by YOUNGO, brought together young people to dialogue climate issues and also bring on board innovative ideas. It also served as capacity and intergenerational networking avenues for people championing the climate change advocacy.
According to External Engagement and Partnership Lead at GAYO and the Coordinator of LCOy, Candy Darkwa, the national youth climate action plan was developed after consultations with young people over the past two years where they gave suggestions of climate actions in Ghana.
“prior to this event, we had the Pre-LCOY consultations where we brought young people across the sixteen regions of Ghana to have a consultation on what program of actions should be prioritized in the action,” she said.
Candy also added that, copies of the action plan that was launched would be given to Parliament, the National Youth Authority (NYA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MEST) as well as YOUNGO who would then forward it to the UNFCCC for action actions.
Some dignitaries present at the conference were the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Member of Parliament for Tema Central Yves Hanson-Nortey and Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Pius Enam Hadzide.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, CEO of the NYA, Mr. Enam Hadzide said the issue of climate change is an existential which needs concerted efforts in order for to be dealt with. He also added the youth cannot be left out in this advocacy and therefore this conference has become a necessary tool with which young people are mobilized to add their voices to the awareness creation.
The Tema Central MP who also seats on the Environment, Science and Technology Committee of Parliament, Yves Hanson-Nortey said parliament is always open to initiatives developed by the youth that seeks to address climate changes issues.
Also, the MP disclosed some programs that the legislative body is also championing as part of the climate change advocacy, including the “debt-for-climate change swap which is being spearheaded by the chairman of the committee, Emmanuel Marfo.
