Ghana, UK commit to biodiversity protection

Ghana and the United Kingdom (UK) have renewed their commitment to preserve and protect biodiversity.

The two countries renewed their position at the Nature Action – Private Sector Mobilisation summit organised by the UK government in London last Friday.

It was to catalyse and demonstrate delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Kunming-Montreal framework is a landmark international agreement adopted by the 15th session of the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15.2) held in Montreal, Canada.

The framework seeks to galvanise urgent and transformative action by governments, subnational and local governments, and with the involvement of all of society to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and contribute to the objectives of the convention on biological diversity and its protocols.

The summit was held at the Lancaster House, London, and was followed by a working reception hosted by the British Monarch, King Charles III, at the Buckingham Palace, the official London residence and royal palace of the British Monarch.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who represented the country at the summit, said the government of Ghana was fully committed to biodiversity protection and preservation of a healthy planet.

He said biodiversity provided humanity with so many benefits, including food, medicine, energy, clean air and water, security from natural disasters as well as recreation and cultural inspiration.

Mr Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo in the Savanna Region, said biodiversity loss was synonymous with forest and wildlife loss, which constituted a huge ecosystem of varying fauna and flora.

He said Ghana’s commitment to halt forest and wildlife loss included a commitment to protect the world’s biodiversity. According to Mr Jinapor, who is also the Caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry, the Global Biodiversity Framework aligned with the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use, which Ghana signed on to at COP26 in 2021.

He said his country endorsed the 10-point plan of the Global Biodiversity Framework, and was committed to work with other governments and partners to protect and conserve biodiversity.

Work with developing countries

Mr Jinapor called on developed countries to work with developing countries to protect the world’s forests and biodiversity. Using the cocoa value chain as an example, the Lands and Natural Resources minister said although the value of the chocolate industry was over $130 billion, Ghana and Ivory Coast, which produced over 60 per cent of the cocoa used in the chocolate industry, got less than five per cent of the value of the chocolate market.

To empower developing countries to continue with their work on biodiversity protection, he said developed countries should not adopt policies that would continuously impoverish developing countries.

“The duty to protect biodiversity is a collective one, and we must all work together to ensure a safe and healthy planet for current and future generations,” Mr Jinapor said.

Context

In spite of its importance to human well-being and a healthy planet, the world’s biodiversity is deteriorating at an unprecedented rate, posing serious threat to our survival as a people.

The London event, therefore, brought together governments, indigenous people, private sector and civil society to support delivery of the framework’s 10-point plan for financing biodiversity and shift towards a nature and positive climate economy.