UN Resident Coordinator commends Okyeame Kwame for climate activism

On 21st July, Okyeame Kwame organised about five hundred (500) students to walk from Accra Metropolitan Assembly to Parliament to petition the climate caucus to be more ambitious about climate justice. During the walk, there were chants from the student asking for climate justice, greener Ghana, reafforestation, and sounding the alarm of climate emergency.

To receive Okyeame Kwame, the climate ambassador and the group at Parliament were Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, the UN resident coordinator, His Excellency Charles Abani, the mayor of Accra, Hon. Elizabeth Sackey, and some members of the parliamentary Climate Caucus.

Unanimously, the hosts agreed with the advocates that the world needs climate, especially Africans and indigenous people globally, who contribute less than 4 percent to carbon emissions must be compensated for climate injustice since we feel the brunt of the harsh climate conditions today.

Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Marfo also praised and commended Okyeame Kwame and the climate clock team for taking up this very important subject and involving future generations by conscientising them. The climate walk organized was in observation of the Climate Emergency Day, which is every 22nd of July.

Whiles at Parliament, the UN resident coordinator commended Okyeame Kwame for taking on this very important task saying 'his Activism must go beyond the regional level.'



After the walk, the students, teachers, and activists were all refreshed by Ekumfi juice to support the initiative.

After the Climate walk, a delegation, led by Okyeame Kwame and his family, went to pay a courtesy call on the Chargér de Affaires of the Embassy of the UAE, His Excellency, Amer Al Alalawi. Together with Nakeeyat Dramani Sam (Youth Climate Advocate), Portia Adu Mensah (lead advocate, climate clock Ghana), and a group of media to speak about youth representation at COP28 which is being hosted by the UAE in Dubai in November.

Speaking to the delegation, His Excellency appreciated the visit and mentioned that NGOs and civil societies advocating for climate change must come together and present a single petition to the embassy so that the embassy can work with them as a unit. He commended Okyeame Kwame and the team for caring about the environment and sharing the vision of the UAE as well.

From the 14th of July to the 20th of July, the climate clock visited Kwabenya Snr High School, St John's Grammer High School, Kaneshie Cluster of schools, St. Martin De Porres, to speak to over 1500 students, using the figures of the clock, to explain the climate emergency and the need for action now.



So the climate emergency day is today, 22nd July. Okyeame Kwame will be joined by other climate activists on Facebook and Instagram to observe the countdown of the climate clock to 5 years.

On 21st July, the conversation migrated to Twitter spaces, hosted by Kwame Dadzie, where Twitter audiences and scientists discussed the theme: "What can we do to increase our lifeline".

The panellists were Dr. Charles Abani, UN resident coordinator, Dr. Tutu Benefo, Head of 5th Climate Change, EPA, Bossman Owusu Jnr, Country Director, Solidaridad, Dr. Winston Asante, climate consultant, Gan Golan, chief strategy officer, climate clock, Portia Adu Mensah, lead Advocate, climate clock, Michael David, executive director, GIFSEP, and Okyeame Kwame, musician, and Climate Ambassador.

The walk was organised by Okyeame Kwame Foundation in partnership with Accra Metropolitan Assembly and sponsored by Ekumfi Juice.