Ghana - National Planning on short-lived climate pollutants

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In 2013, Ghana became one of the first countries to participate in the SNAP initiative, receiving support for national SLCP planning.

Ghana's participation in the SNAP initiative has led to the launch of the Ghana Action Plan to Mitigate SLCPs in 2018. The plan outlines an integrated strategy to improve air quality and reduce climate change impacts using 15 mitigation measures in seven key source sectors. Compared to baseline scenarios, full implementation of these measures would reduce black carbon emissions by 60%, and methane emissions 56% by 2040, resulting in multiple in-country benefits, including 2,560 avoided premature deaths, a 40% reduction in crop losses, and a 51% reduction in  Ghana’s contribution to global warming by 2040.

The SNAP initiative continues to provide support to Ghana for further integration of SLCPs into climate change planning processes, and to support the implementation of priority mitigation measures within key emitting sectors.

Objectives

The objectives of the support provided by the SNAP Initiative was to provide technical assistance and funding to Ghana to undertake a national planning process on short-lived climate pollutants, and implement resulting mitigation measures, specifically:
   

  • Strengthen coordination and action on short-lived climate pollutants
  • Identify major emission sources, their likely evolution and mitigation potential
  • Assess the co-benefits of action
  • Prioritize the most relevant measures at national scale
  • Identify ways to promote and implement these mitigation measures
  • Incorporate short-lived climate pollutants into existing plans and activities where they are not currently considered
  • Support the implementation of priority measures and track progress

What we're doing

Phase I – National Planning – Complete

In 2013, Ghana played a key role in establishing and participating in the first phase of the SNAP Initiative of the CCAC to initiate a national planning exercise on SLCP mitigation. To begin this process, the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborated extensively with sectoral experts and relevant ministries to develop SLCP emission inventories, estimate the benefits of actions, and identify important SLCP measures and responsible ministries as part of a draft national plan. This draft was used as a strategic document produced in collaboration with the Ghana EPA and the Ministry of Environmental Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) enabling them to track progress on SLCP mitigation and prepare for subsequent stages of national planning. 

Phase II – National Planning and Institutional Strengthening – Complete

Following the draft national plan, a second phase of planning took place focused on producing a final national strategy and building capacity for its implementation, monitoring, and reporting. A national team was established from the ministries of agriculture, energy, transport, health, finance, MESTI, EPA, as well as the Energy Commission and the University of Ghana. This team conducted national consultations with external stakeholders as well as technical workshops focused on identifying and prioritizing SLCP abatement options. As a result of these consultations, short project initiation reports were drafted, and input was provided into the development of the NAP guidance document by SEI, the CCAC and affiliated partners. EPA, MESTI and SEI undertook a series of steps to develop a comprehensive SLCP emissions inventory using the LEAP-IBC tool, compiling existing datasets, modelling baseline emission scenarios and future projections, and identifying relevant measures and likely implementation pathways through expert advice and stakeholder consultations. 

As a result of this two-step strategy, the Ghana Action Plan to Mitigate SLCPs was drafted, reviewed by national stakeholders, and approved by the Minister of Environmental Science, Technology, and Innovation in 2018. The 15 measures outlined in the national plan target 7 priority sectors including energy, transport, industrial process, agriculture, forestry, and waste. Emphasis within the plan was focused on reducing household air pollution, including increasing access to 2 million improved cookstoves by 2030. Full implementation of the strategy would reduce total CO2 emissions by 45%, in turn substantially contributing the international climate commitments in addition to SLCP abatement.

Phase III – Support for the implementation of the SLCP Strategy – Ongoing

The SNAP initiative continues to provide support to Ghana for further integration of SLCPs into climate change planning processes, and to support the implementation of priority mitigation measures within sectors. To date, Ghana has begun implementing specific measures focused on SLCP abatement, working to introduce vehicle emission standards, reduce cookstove and brick kiln emissions, and complete solar energy pilot projects. As part of SNAP Phase III, the following objectives are being pursued:
   

  • Including SLCPs within the NDC Update process for Ghana and achieve high-level political endorsement for the priorities identified in Ghana’s National SLCP Plan.
  • Focusing on implementation of the mitigation measures identified in the National SLCP Plan, removing barriers to the implementation of 15 mitigation measures identified in the National SLCP Plan 
  • Inclusion of SLCPs within relevant monitoring and evaluation frameworks in Ghana, allowing for the sustainable monitoring of implementation of actions to reduce SLCPs within climate change MRV systems, as well as within the National M&E process within Ghana

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