Ghana has taken steps towards its green economy transition thanks to a workshop being held on preparing a green economy action plan and a new study revealing how exports of solar power could improve the livelihoods for thousands of its poorest.

The first consultative workshop for preparing a Green Economy Action Plan (GEAP) for Ghana took place in the country’s capital Accra on 16 July 2015.

The event sought inputs from from key stakeholders in the agriculture, forestry and energy sectors in order to map out actions and strategies to inform the various segments of the GEAP document. The meeting was held with the overall aim of eventually integrating sustainable goals into national economic and development planning, as the document is due to be reviewed in a second workshop before being adopted by the Government of Ghana.

The workshop was organised by the country’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation - with technical support from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research.

The three sectors are the focus for green economy actions in Ghana after being recognised – in both prior consultative workshops and the Green Economy Assessment Study – as the key contributors to the national economy in terms of GDP, trade, employment, low carbon development and natural resources management.

Solar potential

Meanwhile, a new study by UNEP and The Energy Center has revealed how Ghana can benefit from fulfilling its ambition of becoming a major exporter of power to the West African sub-region.

The ‘Ghana Solar Export Potential’ study was launched on 3 September in Accra, Ghana at the third stakeholder workshop for the national Green Economy and Trade Opportunities Project (GE-TOP) Ghana.

At the recent launch of the ‘Green Economy and Trade – A Handbook,’ UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner had highlighted key findings. Analysis shows that a grid-connected 100 MW solar plant in Ghana’s North could save 40,000 tCO2 annual emissions, provide livelihoods for 23,000 of the poorest people, and earn an annual US$ 38 million in foreign exchange from export, Mr Steiner underlined.

For more information please contact chiara.moroni@unep.org