The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are set to be attained by 2030. But the negative impacts of climate change continue to threaten the fundamentals required for the successful attainment of the goals.

To help ameliorate the impact of climate change and global warming, the Vice-Chancellor of the Sunyani Technical University, STU, Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, has said the staff and students would plant 10,000 tree seedlings and nurture them.

He said the exercise would be a legacy project for the University’s 55th-anniversary celebration, climaxing on November 5, 2022, in support of the Green Ghana project.

He disclosed during the Bono Regional Green Ghana Day exercise at the STU campus on Friday, June 10, 2022.

It was attended by the Bono Regional Minister, the Vice-Chancellor of the University Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Officials of the Forestry Commission, and management and Staff of STU and UENR.

On the theme, “Mobilizing for a Greener Future”, the government aimed at using the Green Ghana Day to plant 20 million trees across the country with a regional target of 1.2 million trees.

The initiative seeks to create an enhanced national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the afforestation and restoration of degraded landscape in the country, Inculcate in the youth the value of planting and nurturing trees and their associated benefits, enhance livelihoods towards communities through engagement in the production of tree seedlings, and to beautify the environment.

Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, STU VC, said staff and students are planting 2,000 tree seedlings to commemorate the day even as they plan to plant more to mark their anniversary.

“I encourage individuals to own the trees by embossing their names on them so that in future they can look back with pride that they played a part in this important exercise”, he said.

He noted the exercise would also affirm their commitment to the SDGs.

VC of UENR, Prof Elvis Asare-Bediako, commended the president, Nana Akufo-Addo for what he described as a “grand initiative” to green Ghana.

He stressed that it is their responsibility as academic institutions to show leadership in the Bono Region by supporting the regional coordinating council and the forestry commission to support the urgent national agenda towards grappling with climate change.

He urged the academic faculties, students, and opinion leaders not to restrain themselves from making their hands dirty by planting trees.

As an agriculturist, Prof Asare-Bediako relished the impact trees continue to play in his life, including food, shelter, and medicines.

This, he said, emphasizes the need to attach so much importance to the Green Ghana exercise because “when the last tree dies, the last man dies”.

Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, ahead of the official tree planting exercise, said it is about time by-laws are enacted by the Municipal and District Assemblies to protect the tree seedlings planted from being fed on by cattle, sheep, and cows in the communities.

She said when there are working by-laws, influential leaders would desist from pleading on behalf of individuals whose animals have left astray, thereby feeding and destroying things, including trees.

“So please, even as we are planting, we are also sounding caution to you that this time around when we get you – and I hope we don’t, the law will take its cause. I am through this asking the MMDCEs to manage and work on our by-laws so that whoever becomes a culprit would be gripped by the law”, Madam Owusu Banahene said.