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Graduating Country

For over a decade, Ghana’s national planning frameworks set a clear path towards transitioning to a green economy.

Economic growth in Ghana over the past two decades has led to reduced poverty and improved social indicators. The 2006-2009 food, fuel and financial crisis further prompted the government to transition to more sustainable growth. This was recognized in the 2010 publication Ghana Goes for Green Growth”, together with the National Energy Policy, which included a strategy for renewable energies.  

The 2013 National Climate Change Policy then envisaged a climate-compatible economy that achieves sustainable development through equitable low-carbon growth. The subsequent Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II (2014-2017) and National Medium-Term Development Policy Framework (2018-2021) further refined Ghana’s vision by providing an overarching policy framework for transformative change.  

PAGE work has contributed to the mainstreaming of IGE into sub-national planning and reporting; inclusion of climate change education in basic schools across the country; initiation of thematic policy reforms across sustainable finance, green jobs and resource efficiency; as well as individual and institutional capacity-building –– ultimately, contributing to the achievement of SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Socio-Economic Response and Recovery Plan (SERRP) of the United Nations and the Government of Ghana’s Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (PAG) provide two important policy documents to guide the government in its response and recovery planning. The SERRP focuses on two thematic areas of digitization and green economy, helping to unleash the benefits inherent in digitization for green economic opportunities. The PAG includes key support mechanisms for industry and businesses. 

Corresponding to these objectives, Ghana submitted a proposal for green recovery support through PAGE in late 2020. Within this scope, PAGE will support Ghana to strengthen the enabling environment to facilitate greater public and private green finance. The work will identify opportunities to support green fiscal policies and tax and regulatory regimes that promote employment and disincentivize polluting activities as well as support new business opportunities emerging from the crisis. PAGE will also work to integrate green recovery policies into the sub-national recovery plans and facilitate capacity development for enterprises in resource efficiency and sustainable production principles under the 1 District 1 Factory (1D1F) government policy on to build back better from COVID-19.

  • 2014

    Ghana joins PAGE to support Ghana’s Shared Growth and Development Agenda II and National Climate Change Policy

    National Steering Committee established to oversee PAGE work

  • 2015

    Green Industry and Trade Assessment completed, Green Economy Assessment Study and Green Economy Stocktaking Report released providing a basis for PAGE work

    Green Economy Week held to mark the completion of the inception phase

  • 2016

    Green Economy Action Plan finalized

  • 2017

    Manual for mainstreaming green economy and aligning SDGs into Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) development plans produced

  • 2018

    Medium-term development plans of sub-national MMDAs developed

    New National Medium-Term Development Plan (2018-2011) – informed by development planning of MMDAs

    National Dialogue on “Decent Work and Just Transition to Sustainable Economy and Society for All” held

    Two media trainings held to inform journalists on climate change and green economy

    Metadata for monitoring progress of MMDAs in mainstreaming climate change and green economy-related SDGs operationalized

  • 2019

    Final year of PAGE support commenced, with national sustainability plan developed

    Training series delivered on all MMDAs to support long-term mainstreaming of green economy goals and targets into local development plans

    Climate change and green economy concepts integrated into school curricula

    Study on green finance finalized

    National Strategy on Green Jobs in development

  • 2020

    National study on skills for green jobs finalized 

    National Strategy on Green Jobs and Action Plan drafted 

    Virtual training for primary school teachers on green economy and climate change 

    Assessment and review of previous training provided to mainstream climate change and IGE in development planning processes and data reporting requirements 

    Development of green finance course and pilot training concluded

  • Mainstreaming climate change and SDGs into local and national planning

    In 2020, PAGE assessed the impact of previous trainings on mainstreaming green economy in development planning at the local level, looking […]

  • Supporting green economic recovery

    In 2020, responding to the impacts of COVID-19 in Ghana, PAGE specifically contributed to the development of the Ghana UN Development […]

  • Growth for green jobs

    PAGE, together with the ILO-Sida Partnership project, has been supporting the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations on a National Strategy for Green Jobs.  The strategy […]

  • Enhancing resource efficiency

    In 2020, PAGE conducted a resource efficiency demonstration in the palm oil sector, continuing from a similar demonstration and workshop […]

  • School curriculum

    PAGE and UN CC:Learn have jointly supported Ghana Education Service (GES),  together with the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) […]

  • Tailored training on green finance

    PAGE, together with the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), began developing a course on green finance in 2019, targeting public officials […]

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