Tamale-Ghana, June 23, GNA – Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister for Transport has said the transport sector has become a major source of greenhouse gas emissions due to the use of fossil fuel-based vehicles.
He said the decision to switch to Electronic Vehicles (EVs) was the next logical step to ending climate emergency.
Mr Asiamah said this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Frederick Obeng Adom, Deputy Minister of Transport, at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Tamale.
He said the United Nations’ warning of the dreadful consequences if global warming rose above 1.5 degrees Celsius, was a suggestion that cutting back on carbon emissions was not enough to tackle climate emergency.
He said Ghana must emulate other parts of the world to switch to EVs adding “It is necessary that Ghana moves with the times to ensure that our country does not become a convenient dumping ground for used fossil-fueled vehicles.”
The meeting was to involve stakeholders in the transport industry in developing a National Electric Vehicle Policy.
It was to solicit their input into the draft National Electric Vehicle Policy that would complement efforts to switch to the use of EVs to reduce carbon emissions by the transport sector.
Participants were transport operators, auto mechanics, Civil Society Organisations, personnel from the security services, who were drawn from various districts in the Northern Region.
It was organised by the Ministry of Transport in partnership with the Ministry of Finance with support from the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP).
Mr Asiamah said the Ministry of Transport with support from the Climate Technology Centre Network and the UNEP Copenhagen Centre on Climate Change based in Denmark developed an Electric Mobility Framework in June 2022.
He said the Framework consequently gave impetus to the development of a draft National Electric Vehicle Policy to serve as key input for comprehensive implementation plan and investment strategy for the smooth transition to EVs.
The draft National Electric Vehicle Policy, which was presented to stakeholders at the meeting, sought to “Create an enabling environment for the uptake of electric vehicles to reduce emissions and improve the well-being of the citizenry.”
Its vision was to “Sustainably adopt and utilise safe and affordable EVs to reduce emissions and improve the well-being of the population.”
Mr Herbert Krapa, Deputy Minister for Energy, in a speech read on his behalf at the meeting, said the country’s current installed capacity of 5400MW was significantly more than the peak demand of about 3700MW, and added that Ghana would need to create additional demand within the system to take the excess supply of electricity.
He said, “Ghana will not only be spearheading the drive for Electric Vehicles but will also be the leading sub-region into clean and sustainable energy production and utilisation.”
He noted that switching to EVs was not a lifestyle choice but a necessity for survival for humanity in future and a contribution to reducing Green House Gases.
