Ghana’s intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) and accompanying explanatory note.

Ghana’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) and Accompanying Explanatory Note is a multi-sectoral policy document. Ghana’s emission reduction goal is to unconditionally lower its GHG emissions by 15 percent relative to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario emission of 73.95 MtCO2e2 by 2030. An additional 30 percent emission reduction is attainable on condition that external support is made available to Ghana to cover the full cost of implementing the mitigation action (finance, technology transfer, capacity building). The long-term goal of Ghana’s adaptation is to increase climate resilience and decrease vulnerability for enhanced sustainable development.
Based on its national circumstances, Ghana has put forward mitigation and adaptation actions in its INDC for implementation in the 10-year period (2020-2030). The implementation of the actions are expected to help attain low carbon climate resilience through effective adaptation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in the following priority sectors: Sustainable land use including food security; Climate proof infrastructure; Equitable social development; Sustainable mass transportation; Sustainable energy security; Sustainable forest management; and Alternative urban waste management. To meet mitigation goals, specific activities are proposed, including: 1) Promote clean rural households lighting; 2) Promote Sustainable utilization of forest resources through REDD+; etc. Five Programms of actions are proposed to promote sustainable utilization of forest resources: Continue 10,000 ha annual reforestation/afforestation of degraded lands; Double 10,000 ha annual reforestation/afforestation of degraded lands translating to 20,000 ha on annual basis; Support enhancement of forest carbon stocks through 5,000 ha per annum enrichment planting and enforcement of timber felling standards; 45% emission reduction through result-based emission reduction programme in cocoa landscape; Wildfire management in the transition and savannah dry lands. The INDC further outlines 5 adaptation policy actions: a. agriculture resilience building in climate vulnerable landscapes, including: Modified community-based conservation agriculture adopted in 43 administrative districts and scale up penetration of climate smart technologies to increase livestock, fisheries productivity by 10%, and Promote innovations in post-harvest storage and food processing and forest products in 43 administrative districts; b. value addition-based utilization of forest resources, including Governance reform for utilization of forest resources for sustainable energy use and biodiversity business; c. city-wide resilient infrastructure planning; early warning and disaster prevention; d. managing climate-induced health risk; integrated water resources management; and f. resilience for gender and the vulnerable, including implementation of community led adaptation and livelihood diversification for vulnerable groups.