The Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS) have given the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2020 Manifesto a zero score in its commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change in the country.

According to CCCFS, unlike in their 2016 Manifesto, the ruling government made no promises towards mitigating the impact of climate change in the country.

This say offends the Paris accord of which the government of Ghana is a signatory to.

They said: “We found that there is no mention at all of the term ‘climate change’. The implication of this is that there are no specific promises on climate change mitigation. This frontally offends the tenets of the Paris accord which enjoins countries to take steps aimed at combating climate change”.

They further bemoaned the ‘silence’ of the manifesto on issues of sanitation, the environment and other activities linked to combating climate change.

“Disappointingly, we did not find any general promises that combat climate change. In fact, the manifesto is surprisingly silent on issues of environment, sanitation, and all other activities that cumulatively combat climate change. This again offends the tenets of the Paris accord,” the CCCFS stated in a press release.

The CCCFS also acknowledged government’s delivery on their promises on combating climate change in their 2016 manifesto.

They noted that although the government had made a specific promise on climate change with the view of accessing dedicated global funds for addressing climate change issues, “both the promise and the delivery, in our respectful view, are too scanty when compared with the enormity of the climate change challenge.”

They, however, commended government for other non-climate-change-intended programmes which have had significant mitigation impacts on climate change.

“These include the combat against illegal mining (though not very successful), youth in afforestation programme, setting up of the sanitation ministry (little has been achieved though), passage of law to ban import of 10-year-old vehicles, etc.

“Also, The One Village One Dam project, which has not been largely successful, is a good initiative for mitigating climate change and boosting agriculture which ultimately, improves our food security situation,” they added.

Under Agriculture and Food Security, the CCCFS scored the NPP 2020 Manifesto 63%.

According to them, “All the promises made under agriculture can be said to have direct implications on food security if well implemented. In total, we counted 10 such promises. 2 out of the 10 had subsidiary promises totalling 9, which constitute a breakdown of how to achieve those 2 broad promises.

“We are happy that agriculture which employs almost 60% of Ghana’s population, is selected as a broad theme and 10 promises made under it to actualise the Ghana Beyond Aid rhetoric. In total, there are 11 promises.”