Mr Speaker, I would like to begin my submission by first recognising the context of national development in this challenging year 2020, for both developed, and indeed developing countries across the globe. This context I make reference to is characterized by an increased degree of global action in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic that has provided many lessons to governments, especially about the importance of cooperation and unity in dealing with global issues. Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, one of the world’s significant issues was climate change, along with the resulting effects of global warming on our economies, and life in general.

Mr Speaker, today, I am on my feet in this august house to remind us all that, climate change still is one of the most significant issues in the world, and we cannot afford to take it lightly in any circumstance, given that it is now easier to assume we have more pressing issues at hand. A report released in October this year by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicates that the year 2019 was among the warmest years on record for the African continent, with the trend expected to continue.

In other parts of the world, the 2020 issue of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s arctic report, reveals that summer surface temperatures across much of the Arctic Ocean were again much warmer than average, adding another year of extreme warmth to the warming trend observed over the last 30 years. This is driving tremendous changes in marine ecosystems, delaying fall freeze-up, and even reducing the amount of carbon dioxide the ocean absorbs from the atmosphere. The linkage of these critical events to our practices is found in the adoption of renewable energy in the world and the plans to decrease the usage of carbon-emitting energy sources.

Mr Speaker, over the past decade and a half, this has translated to effective policy formulation in Ghana by governments, including (i) the Strategic National Energy Plan of 2006-2020; (ii) the Energy Sector Strategy and Development Plan of 2010; (iii) the Renewable Energy Act of 2011; (iv) the Sustainable Energy for All Action Plan of 2012; and subsequently, (v) the Renewable Energy Master Plan(REMP) presented to the Ministry of Energy in 2019.  As we transition to the final decade set out in the REMP, one essential component of the development of renewable energy still remains mere ink on paper.

Mr Speaker, without prejudice to the immense contributions of our stakeholders in the energy sector, right from the Ministry responsible for Energy and the Energy Commission of Ghana, to representatives in the community of academia - who continue to provide scientific research-support towards the development of renewable energy -, it is undeniable that the establishment of the Renewable Energy Authority is deficient in all of our achievements under renewable energy in Ghana.

Mr Speaker, even though Parliament recently amended the Bui Power Authority Act (Act 740) to empower the Bui Power Authority to develop renewable energy and other clean energy alternatives in the country, the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832 ) is resolute in its purpose for renewable energy, which will also ensure that projects undertaken by government in renewable energy will be better organized

It is certainly not misplaced that the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832) of 2011, in its preceding description mentions “management, utilization, sustainability” of renewable energy as part of the purpose of the Act itself. Moreover, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) identifies four categories of policy instruments used to promote renewable electricity generation anywhere in the world, being (i) fiscal incentives; (ii) public finance, (iii) regulations; as well as (iv) policies that ensure widespread access to power, from renewable sources. Our emphasis, however, being on the policies that ensure proper regulation of the renewable energy industry.

Fortunately, Mr Speaker, the Renewable Energy Act (Act 832) under the transitional provisions recognise the importance of a self-standing Renewable Energy Authority, stating in section 53 “Until such time that a Renewable Energy Authority is established, the Renewable Energy Directorate under the Ministry of Energy shall (a) oversee the implementation of renewable energy activities in the country; (b) execute renewable energy projects initiated by the State or in which the State has an interest; and (c) manage the assets in the renewable energy sector on behalf of the State.”

Mr Speaker, when India’s National Renewable Energy Act was drafted in 2015, the adoption of renewable energy was reported to have significantly increased. According to India’s Renewable Energy Act, —and since India is in fact a federal republic—, their central government is most responsible for the development of renewable energy with policy obligations of the central government prefixed by “shall” binding it by law to undertake certain roles relating to the Act.

Mr Speaker, if we wish to make any comparisons to practices elsewhere in the world that position governments to come to the realization of their renewable energy objectives, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, responsible solely for renewable energy is a stark difference to the institutional set-up presently in Ghana. In any event, all these serve as a signal to us about the need for the establishment of our Renewable Energy Authority which will take up the full responsibility of meeting Ghana’s renewable energy objectives.

Mr Speaker, there are, however, a host of other barriers identified in published research articles describing the negative effects on the development of renewable energy not only in Ghana but also in countries like the United Arab Emirates. Studies in the UAE reveal that some of these barriers relate to economic and political complications in the implementation of feed-in-tariff and quota systems for generated renewable energy. Similarly, poor financing of renewable energy investments, lack of affordability of renewable energy systems, cumbersome licensing processes, and unbalanced emphasis on on-grid renewable energy systems, persisted as challenges in countries like Kenya and South Africa, and Ghana is no exception. Expectedly these challenges take a great deal of effort to overcome.

Mr Speaker, with the Renewable Energy Authority in place, we can be confident of full dedication to the implementation of renewable energy policies, and situation-based regulation of activities specific to the renewable energy industry to ensure its growth is well supported, to meet the level of sustainability that will enable Ghana to be a clean energy country as part of our climate action.

In conclusion Mr Speaker, I believe that we are well-positioned as a country, with the robust policy framework that supports renewable energy even as a viable venture for investment. With the Renewable Energy Act and the Master Plan in place, the missing piece is without doubt the respective Renewable Energy Authority, to lead the crusade to transform Ghana’s energy sector for the future of alternative energy, while doing away with traditional carbon-emitting energy generation practices that have resulted in climate change and the threat to our ecosystems. 

I thank you for the opportunity.

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The writer is the MP for Nsawan Adoagri and Chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. This state was delivered on the Floor of Parliament on December, 15, 2020.