Switzerland’s Simonetta Sommaruga with Ghana’s Ken Ofori Atta during the launch
• Ghana and Switzerland have signed a new agreeement to tackle climate change
• The greement which begins this year, will run through 2024 and aim at contributing to a resilient and self-dependent Ghana
• The agreement would also increase renewable energy usage in the country
A three-year strategy agreement between Ghana and Switzerland that is aimed at tackling climate change in the country, has been launched in Accra.
This was made known after a signing agreement between the two countries, represented by Simonetta Sommaruga, the Swiss Minister for Environment, Traffic, Energy and Communication, and Ghana’s Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The agreement, known as the Switzerland’s new International Cooperation Strategy (SECO) 2021-2024, is to contribute to a resilient and self-dependent Ghana, promoting economic growth and sustainable properity.
Speaking on behalf of the Swiss, Simonetta Sommaruga said that a similar bilateral agreement was signed in Ghana over six months ago.
She explained that this new agreement will therefore focus mainly on the measures at implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement which aims at promoting integrated, holistic and balanced approaches that will assist governments in implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) through voluntary international cooperation.
She also presented SECO’s country strategy for Ghana, which is a SECO priority country for economic development cooperation. For the 2021-2024 period, Switzerland intends to allocate a total of 65 million Swiss Franc for economic development cooperation in Ghana.
Article six (6) of the Paris Agreement on carbon markets is an innovative voluntary instrument available to countries to mobilise finance and catalyse private sector investments for the implementation of nationally determined contributions.
“This program will allows us to continue our fruitful and deep collaboration over the next four years and further strengthen our ties; ties that have been friendly and constructive for a very long time based on mutual respect and the willingness to find constructive challenges for job challenges,” she said.
On her part, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, expressed the government’s appreciation to the Swiss government for their continuous support.
“This is welcome indeed. We are pleased to extend the appreciation of the government and people of Ghana to the government and people of Switzerland for their continuous support for Ghana’s progress and development. I strongly believe that the step we have just taken in launching the next phase of our bilateral cooperation will only continue to move our relations to greater heights,” she said.
The signing of the cooperation agreement does not only demonstrate the existing good relations between the two countries, but it also highlights the firm resolve of Ghana and Switzerland to take early action to mitigate climate change and contribute to the realisation of the desired global goal of two degrees temperature reduction as indicated by the Paris Agreement.
SECO’s thematic priorities are to promote attractive framework conditions for sustainable growth and to support initiatives that unlock more and better jobs and decent income opportunities.
Also, the cooperation between Ghana and Switzerland’s focus would be to increase renewable energy usage through the use of energy efficient cook stoves in homes and enhance waste management, among others.
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