Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa, Esther A.N Cobbah has underscored the need for everyone to join the climate change campaign.

According to her, addressing climate change and global warming is the responsibility of every individual, and Stratcomm Africa is committed to working with all to grow the movement to help protect planet earth.

Madam Cobbah made the call at the launch of the 6th edition of the Garden and Flower show in Accra. This year's event focuses on creating the awareness on environmental conservation and sanitation.

She noted that, through this initiative, we are also contributing to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have seen public interest in gardening and flower cultivation growing.

“We also see a growing interest among the youth especially, and for us, this is significant and most exciting”, Madam Cobbah added.

Also, Ron Strikker, Ambassador of the Royal Netherlands to Ghana stressd the importance of floriculture and the need for government to invest in the industry.

He indicated that, if much more attention is paid to the industry, it could boost Ghana's economy.

Ambassador Strikker said the floriculture and horticulture sector in Netherlands had been instrumental in the country’s economy as it provides more than 1000 jobs, adding that it was important to for Ghana to make the sector a pillar of the economy.

He said continuous innovation was key to the sustainability of the floriculture and horticulture sectors adding, “If the world does not stand still, you would have to innovate every hour of the day” and be able to adapt to the market to stay competitive.

The Ambassador stressed the Netherlands commitment to helping government achieve its Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda.

On his part, Mr Oral Hiworth Williams, the Director of AFRITEC WEST 2 Technical Assistance Centre of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Accra, commended the organisers of the event as it sought to make society better.

He said the event was embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals thus goals 15 and 16 adding that IMF made commitment to the 2015 Paris agreement.

Goal 15 seeks to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Goal 16 seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and strong institutions.

Mr Williams said there is the greater need for all to support the annual event and that there was the need for greater awareness and attitudinal change to help making the society greener and beautiful.

Also, Madam Constance Swaniker, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Accents and Arts, said the amount of plastic waste deposited in the sea on daily basis was threatening and if action was not taking to mitigate the canker, very soon, “we would been feeding on plastics from the sea as fishes”.

She called on all to reduce the usage of plastic materials and as well properly deposit them to ensure that plastic materials did not negatively impact the habitat in the sea.

The 2018 Ghana Garden and Flower Show, which is on the theme: “Enriching Ghana: One Garden at a Time” would be characterised with conferences, workshops, exhibitions, music in the park, fashion in the park, taste of the park, and the Ghana Garden Flower Awards.

It has grown tremendously with over 16,000 participants recorded in 2017 and even more expected this year.

This year, the Movement is directly focusing on individual responsibility for ensuring a Greener and Cleaner Ghana. This is in line with Ghana’s green agenda and sanitation program as well as the global effort to address climate change.

It said, contributing to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) remained a key focus of the Movement.