The Executive Director of Eco-Africa Network, Worship Joshua Frimpong, has made a compelling case for comprehensive legal reform and youth empowerment as essential pillars of climate justice in Ghana.
He made this statement during the opening session of a two-day Climate Justice Conference at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) under the theme “Advancing Climate Justice in Ghana: Legal Frameworks and Policy Pathways for Sustainable Development.”
The conference, organized by Eco-Africa Network in collaboration with Frontline for Climate Action, GIMPA Law School, CESSMA, iSupreme, and Tictok, took place on April 3rd and 4th. It brought together legal scholars, activists, policymakers, and students to explore the intersection of law, policy, and environmental justice.
In his keynote address, Worship pointed out significant shortcomings in Ghana’s environmental governance and advocated for a legal framework that is more forward-thinking, inclusive, and rooted in justice.
“The gap between policy aspiration and tangible implementation remains too wide. Our laws, while progressive in text, often falter in execution. Our institutions, though well-intentioned, frequently operate in silos. And most critically, the communities most vulnerable to climate impacts remain the least represented in decision-making processes.”
He acknowledged that although Ghana has embraced numerous climate policies, their inconsistent and overly centralized implementation undermines the opportunity to rebuild equitably, govern inclusively, and pursue sustainable development.
“The climate crisis presents not just challenges, but opportunities—to rebuild more equitably, to govern more inclusively, to develop more sustainably.”
Worship also highlighted that the conference would produce a working declaration with concrete commitments, establish follow-up working groups, and identify urgent research gaps. He underscored the importance of fostering lasting partnerships between legal experts, civil society, academia, and local communities.
“We aim to produce a declaration that moves beyond rhetoric to specific commitments. We will establish working groups to maintain momentum on priority issues. We will identify research gaps that demand urgent attention. And perhaps most importantly, we will forge partnerships that endure beyond these two days—bringing together government, judiciary, private sector, civil society, and communities in sustained collaboration.”
As lead organizer, Eco-Africa Network announced plans to establish interdisciplinary working groups to sustain post-conference momentum. These groups will focus on legal education, grassroots mobilization, and policy impact assessment. Frimpong also called for greater investment in climate literacy, especially among youth and marginalized populations.
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Story by: Wahab Abdul Razak | univers.ug.edu.gh
