Ghana, on November 11, took center stage at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27 in Egypt when it co-chaired with the United States of America, the first ministerial meeting on a $16.5 billion initiative to protect global forests. 

Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor and the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry jointly chaired the meeting to develop a framework for 2023 and beyond to achieve the objectives of the Partnership.

The meeting was attended by 28 other ministers and five observer countries with a mission to save the world’s forests.

The Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) is a new political forum that brings together governments and partners to work to implement solutions that reduce forest loss, increase restoration, and support sustainable development.

World leaders first pledged $12 billion last year to protect and restore forests in Glasgow. This year at COP27 a further $4.5 billion from public and private donors have been committed.

Mr. Jinapor pledged the commitment of the Government of Ghana “to work with members of the Partnership to deliver on forests and nature-based solutions to climate change.”

“I will use my leadership on this new Partnership to showcase Ghana’s climate actions and that of other countries as we synergize to work on addressing forest loss,” he said.

The FCLP, launched at the inaugural Forest and Climate Leaders’ Summit, is a voluntary partnership of 26 countries committed to the delivery, accountability and innovation following the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which was endorsed by more than 140 world leaders at COP26 in 2021.

The declaration was to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation this decade. If achieved, this would deliver 10% of the climate mitigation action needed by 2030 to deliver on the Paris Agreement.

Mr. Jinapor said that “forests and nature-based solutions can deliver up to a third of global climate solutions, and Ghana, as a respected member of the international community, is fully committed to supporting global climate action."