Vice President Jane Opoku-Agyemang has underscored the urgency of global cooperation in tackling climate change, stressing that fairness and equity must guide the world’s response.
In a social media post, the Vice President revealed that she held a bilateral meeting in Addis Ababa with H.E. Selwin Hart, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition.
During the meeting, she accepted Mr. Hart’s condolences following the tragic helicopter crash in Ghana before turning to the pressing issue of climate action.
“Climate change recognizes no national borders. Since many of the causes of climate change are man-made, we must find sustainable and fair solutions together,”* she stated.
Highlighting the disproportionate burden borne by poorer nations, Opoku-Agyemang described the situation as unjust.
“Poorer countries, who contribute the least to the crisis, often bear the heaviest burdens,”* she said, pointing to rising sea levels, migration pressures, and food insecurity as major challenges.
She urged the UN to amplify African voices on the global stage and pressed for a multidimensional, Pan-African approach to climate action where countries share strategies, integrate adaptation, and scale up solutions collectively.
The Vice President also showcased Ghana’s climate initiatives, including floating solar panels at the Bui Dam to diversify energy sources and the work of the University of Energy and Natural Resources in preparing citizens to sustain climate-related policies.
However, she cautioned that true progress requires financial reforms.
“Climate solutions must go hand in hand with reforms to the international financial architecture, as unsustainable debt servicing continues to divert resources away from critical sectors such as education, healthcare, and climate adaptation strategies,” she explained.
Concluding her remarks, Opoku-Agyemang called for a comprehensive global approach:
“We need a holistic approach to climate, debt, and development challenges. Fairness, equity, and accountability must guide global action if we are to achieve just and lasting solutions.”
