Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Hon. Seidu Issifu, delivered a forward-looking address at the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Leaders’ Dialogue on the theme “Shaping Resilient Futures,” held at United Nations Headquarters, New York, on Thursday 25 September 2025 during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80).
Representing H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, Hon. Issifu joined global heads of state, development leaders, and ministers to reaffirm Africa’s commitment to scaling up climate adaptation and resilience.
A high-level gathering on adaptation leadership
The dialogue was co-chaired by H.E. Macky Sall, 4th President of Senegal and Chair of the GCA Board; H.E. Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Honorary Chair of the GCA Board; and H.E. Åsmund Aukrust, Minister for International Development of Norway (GCA Board Member).
The session was moderated by Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President and CEO of the GCA, and opened with remarks from Bill Gates, Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who called for greater investment in agricultural innovation to support climate resilience and food security.
Other leaders, including H.E. William Ruto (President of Kenya and Chair of CAHOSCC), H.E. Sidi Ould Tah (African Development Bank Group), H.E. Hilda Heine (President, Republic of the Marshall Islands), H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (African Union Commission), and H.E. Ana Toni (Executive Director, COP30 Presidency), underscored the urgency of adaptation alongside the release of the latest State and Trends in Adaptation report.
Ghana’s call for scaled-up and locally led adaptation
In his statement, Hon. Seidu Issifu thanked President Macky Sall and Ban Ki-moon for their leadership in keeping adaptation at the centre of the global agenda. He described the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP) as a practical response to the realities faced by millions of Africans.
He recalled Ghana’s recent experience with the Akosombo Dam floods, which displaced thousands, and the droughts destroying harvests across parts of the continent.
“Adaptation is not optional for us — it is a necessity,” Hon. Issifu said. “For Ghana, the AAAP is building resilience into the foundations of our economy.”
He highlighted Ghana’s concrete interventions:
• Agriculture: The Tree Crop Diversification Project is safeguarding the future of cocoa, cashew, coconut, and rubber production through climate-smart seeds, digital advisory services, and sustainable land management.
• Energy: The Scaling Up Renewable Energy Programme is expanding solar mini-grids and rooftop systems across the country, embedding climate risk assessments to secure Ghana’s clean energy future.
Debt, fiscal space, and the future of adaptation
Hon. Issifu stressed that excessive debt burdens are undermining locally led adaptation efforts.
“Creating fiscal space is not only a necessary condition but a sufficient condition for locally led adaptation,” he said. “We need honest financial engineering that allows vulnerable countries to invest in climate resilience without being trapped in cycles of unsustainable debt.”
He urged development partners, sovereign wealth funds, and multilateral institutions to step up with debt relief, climate-aligned financing, and instruments that unlock capital for adaptation at scale.
Partnerships for a resilient Africa
Hon. Issifu expressed Ghana’s support for AAAP 2.0 — the “Blueprint for a Resilient Africa,” advanced at the 2nd Africa Climate Summit — and called for partners to scale commitments rather than step back.
He said success depends on steady collaboration between governments, communities and the private sector. Looking ahead to COP30 in Brazil, he said adaptation must stay at the centre of the global climate agenda and that Africa’s voice — and Africa’s solutions — must be amplified.
A strong African and global presence
The Leaders’ Dialogue featured contributions from H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embaló (President, Guinea-Bissau), H.E. Philip Mpango (Vice President, Tanzania), H.E. Mia Mottley (Prime Minister, Barbados), H.E. Faure Gnassingbé (President, Togo), H.E. Allah-Maye Halina (Prime Minister, Chad), H.E. Luc Mercelina (Prime Minister, Sint Maarten), and H.E. Lamine Zeine Ali Mahman (Prime Minister, Niger), among others.
Ministers, development partners and private sector leaders from around the world reaffirmed their commitment to advancing adaptation solutions for vulnerable nations.
Ghana’s leadership on the global stage
Hon. Seidu Issifu’s participation at UNGA80 underscored Ghana’s growing role in climate governance and adaptation finance.
Through the establishment of the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Ghana is building a governance system that places climate action at the heart of development planning, aiming to ensure no community is left behind.
Cedric Dzelu
Technical Director
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
