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Geneva / New York / Accra, November 23 — The government of Ghana and Switzerland today signed a bilateral agreement that brings to life the cooperative approaches of the Paris Agreement. The bilateral agreement establishes the framework conditions for cooperation.
The first planned project will allow a clean kitchen and solar lighting and will benefit up to five million Ghanaian households. The new partnership will enable the adoption of green and low-carbon technology solutions across the country, generating a host of social and environmental benefits.
The partnership will catalyze private sector investment in Ghana’s National Energy Access Program (NCEP), complementing Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. The NCEP will benefit up to five million homes through technologies such as improved kitchens and solar photovoltaic installations. Ghana is also exploring other projects under the agreement.
Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, stated: “We are proud to have been able to facilitate the dialogue between Switzerland and Ghana, build trust in the process on both sides and offer our technical support in implementation. We hope that this bilateral agreement will allow Ghana’s National Clean Energy Access Program (NCEP) to meet its goals by reducing up to 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, providing access to energy to millions and moving towards recovery. ecological “.
The agreement is the first of its kind to involve an African nation, with Peru being the first country to sign a similar agreement in late October.
The statement by the President of Ghana, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, asked the private sector of both countries: “to see this bilateral cooperation as a step to further strengthen the collaboration between Swiss and Ghanaian companies to identify development projects commercially viable and sustainable over the next decade ”. Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway delivered the President’s statement in which she congratulated and thanked Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and UNDP for facilitating the agreement process.
The Ghana NDC’s goal is to reduce emissions 15 to 45 percent below the usual level (BAU) and strengthen climate resilience in close alignment with its development priorities. The NCEP is the central approach to achieving these goals, but it is conditional with international support and requires combined funding for its implementation.
“With this Agreement, Switzerland is taking concrete steps to benefit the environment and sustainable development,” said Franz Perrez, Ambassador and Head of the International Affairs Division of the Federal Office for the Environment. “Together, Switzerland and Ghana established a solid framework for additional investments in climate action and respect for human rights. With the Agreement that we signed today, we are not only fighting climate change, but also strengthening social aspects in the international carbon market ”, he stated.
This agreement will open the doors to commercial projects, empowering national companies to drive climate action. This cooperative approach being taken by Ghana and Switzerland is already paving the way for other countries to explore innovative climate finance solutions, also in line with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
