Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Energy Minister, has asked Queen Mothers to join the battle against global warming.
Traditional leaders, according to the Minister, are in a unique position to raise awareness about the negative effects of wood fuels on people and the environment.
During a stakeholder engagement session at the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, Dr. Opoku Prempeh met with the National Association of Queen Mothers.
"You don't talk for yourself, Nananom; you speak for future generations," the Minister said.
The goal of the engagement was to give participants with information on the National Energy Transition Plan and a chance to gather data in order to analyze the present state of the energy sector, as well as the advantages, risks, and costs of a worldwide energy transition.
On December 12, 2015, Parties to the UNFCCC signed a historic agreement in Paris to combat climate change and strengthen the actions and investments essential for a sustainable low-carbon future.
The Paris Agreement expands on the Convention by bringing all nations together to commit to ambitious measures to avoid and adapt to the consequences of climate change, with additional support for developing countries.
The fundamental aim of the Paris Agreement was to improve the global response to the threat of climate change by limiting global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, as well as to continue efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, the pact aimed to increase countries' ability to deal with climate change's repercussions. To attain these aims, substantial financial resources, as well as a new technology framework and enhanced capacity-building, must be mobilized and given, allowing developing nations and the most vulnerable countries to act on their own national objectives.
The Minister of Energy has urged Queen Mothers to join the battle against global warming.
A more transparent action and support structure was also developed as part of the agreement. The Paris Agreement obliged all parties to make their best efforts through "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs) and to continue to do so in the following years.
This included requirements that all Parties provide periodical reports on their emissions and implementation actions. A worldwide stocktake will be done every five years to assess collective progress toward the agreement's aim and to influence future individual decisions.
According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, governments are taking deliberate initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.
Despite its importance in the country's socioeconomic development, he noted, Ghana's transportation industry has been revealed to be a significant source to carbon dioxide emissions.
"We won't be able to eradicate cars off the road, but we will be able to develop electric vehicles." We won't be able to completely eliminate air conditioners from our rooms, but we will be able to install solar-powered electric air conditioners. We won't be able to cease using water heaters in our houses, but solar water heaters....," he stated emphatically.