The Minister of State in charge of Climate Change, Seidu Issifu, has called for fairness in the global energy transition, arguing that countries responsible for historic emissions must help developing nations move away from fossil fuels.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series, he said Ghana is willing to gradually reduce its dependence on crude oil and other fossil fuels, but insisted that the shift must be guided by equity and shared responsibility.
He recounted an international conference where he was asked whether Ghana was ready to fully abandon fossil fuels. In his response, he stressed that countries most responsible for climate change should provide financial and technical support to help nations like Ghana adapt and transition effectively.
“Ghana is part of the global world, and if we have to transition, we are talking about a just transition. We are talking about those who committed the offence, also bringing us up to a level, then we can proceed from there,” he said.
Mr Issifu also questioned the fairness of expecting vulnerable countries to bear the cost of environmental damage already done, arguing that such a burden should not fall on developing economies alone.
“The damage that has been caused is something that we have to demand the investment in that sector. Assuming you ask Ghana to stop bringing out petrol, diesel or crude oil from the ground, what about the investment that we have made? Somebody has to pay for that; that is the justice that we are talking about,” he stated.
He emphasised that Ghana’s transition will be gradual, carefully planned, and designed to protect economic stability while still meeting global climate commitments.
“So we would have to transition, but we will have to do it gently—from one stage to another—because we are part of the global world and we cannot be in isolation,” he added.