Ghana’s Ambitious Climate Reporting Program
In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) launched the Ghana Climate Ambitious Reporting Program (G-CARP) following the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC decision to enhance climate reporting.
The G-CARP aims to facilitate the setting up of an integrated climate data management system that meets both national and international reporting standards as well as track national policies implementation.
There are four functional components of the G-CARP including: (1) Setting up of a revised institutional arrangement, (2) Operationalising the collaborative mechanisms (MOUs) that underpin activities of the institutions, (3) Setting up an online climate change data hub and (4) Continuous training and capacity development of new and existing teams.
The established Climate Change Data System shall serve as a good example of a comprehensive data system, which is well-integrated into institutional structures and processes involving all key stakeholders.
Insights for policy makers: involvement of the key sector ministries and lead institutions in the reporting process provides valuable feedback on how GHG emission reduction goals are being met and the scale of emission reductions successfully attained in which sector, and by which set of policies.
International communication and policy processes: allows for communicating and documentation of Ghana’s mitigation efforts and support for the development of the intended nationally determined contribution (INDC).
Supporting policy implementation: technical information for monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the national climate change policy and strategies in the five prioritised sectors.
Mainstreaming climate change: a major catalyst to integrating climate change into sector planning such that, under the third national communication, key line ministries and agencies are conducting their own sectorial inventories.
Improved development planning: provision of vital information for assessing and planning for economic development, such as information on the supply and utilisation of natural resources.
- Technical Coordinator: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Lead institutions: Forestry Commission, Energy Commission, National Development Planning Commission;
- Line Ministries: Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy & Petroleum, Ministry of Lands & Natural Resources, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development;
- Government Agencies: National Energy Statistics, Public Universities, Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana Meteorological Agency, Ghana Railway Company, Volta River Authority, Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS);
- Private Sector/Others: Business associations, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Volta Aluminium Company, and International Energy Agency.