NYA launches National Youth Action Group on Climate Change

The National Youth Authority (NYA) has launched the National Youth Action Group on Climate Change (NYAGCC), as part of its efforts at increasing awareness on climate action.

The group is an umbrella body that espouses youth participation in the fight against climate change by bringing together various youth-led organizations and other relevant stakeholders for positive action.

Its membership comprises representatives from the National Council of Persons with Disability (PWD), the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), UN Systems, private practitioners and State Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as NYA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forestry Commission, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Gender and Social Protection.

Effectively, the aim of the NYAGCC is to harmonize the activities of these organizations through organizational collaboration, partnership development, capacity building, advocacy, and policy influence in order to achieve a meaningful impact in promoting climate action in Ghana.

The event came off at the Ministry of Information Press Centre on Tuesday, October 24th.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NYA, Pius Enam Hadzide indicated that the formation of NYAGCC is a testament to the government's commitment to protect and preserve the country’s resources towards building a sustainable and resilient future.

“There is an unremitting need to strengthen efforts for young people and other stakeholders to fully understand the rigors of the climate crisis,” he noted. “The National Youth Authority seeks to do so by creating a space where visionary ideas transform into actionable initiatives, where advocacy translates into policy, and where our youth drive us toward a sustainable, climate-resilient future. We do so in tandem with the National Youth Policy 2022-2032 and its implementation”.

The Action Group is envisioned to foster youth engagement and empowerment, knowledge sharing and learning, resource mobilization and community engagement and action through capacity building and advocacy, organizational collaboration, partnership development, and policy influence.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Evans Opoku Bobie, who launched the Group in the stead of the Minister, Hon. Mustapha Ussif, acknowledged the formation of NYAGCC as a laudable innovation. He was particularly impressed by the youth’s interest in accessing mechanisms to enable them to contribute to the design, implementation, and review of climate policies and programmes at all levels.

“It is my fervent prayer that the NYAGCC serves as the pre-eminent platform for innovation, advocacy, and implementation - a space where ideas, knowledge, and resources converge to drive meaningful change,” he said. “It will channel the passion of our youth into tangible, impactful initiatives that will drive us towards a sustainable, climate-resilient future.”

The Membership of the National Youth Action Group on Climate Change (NYAGCC) is as follows:

1. Juliet Ashiokor Nortey - Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
2. Roland Tagoe - Association of Ghana Startups
3. Margret Impraim - Youth Climate Council
4. Melissa Forson - Centre for Green Growth
5. Joshua Addy - National Council on Persons with Disability
6. Richard Appiah - Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection
7. Kassim Hussein - Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment (CCSE)
8. Kow Appoh Anderson – National Youth Authority (NYA)
9. Grace Akua Gyan Darkwa - United Nations Youth Group
10. Joana Amoako Tweneboa - National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP)
11. Eunice Agyapong - CSIR(FORIG)
12. David Yeboah - National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS)
13. Jean-Philip Lawson – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
14. Juliet Osei-Wusu - Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
15. Isaac Kwabena Danso – Environmental Protection Agency
16. Samuel Agyemang Tutu - Forestry Commission
17. Mavis Asabea Asare – Ministry of Youth and Sports
18. Saeed Abdul-Razak – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The Honourable Minister also pointed out that the government, led by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is prepared to wholly involve the youth in the policy-making process in order to ensure decisions taken represent their actual needs.

“We believe that the development of Ghana is interwoven with judicious resource management. The call to action, therefore, extends to the youth, who form over 11.7 million of our total population, and serve as both custodians and recipients of the consequences ensuing from environmental degradation and the depletion of our natural wealth.”

The event convened prominent speakers like the National Coordinator, the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), Dr. Carol Donkor, the Rep for the UN Resident Cordinator, Charles Abani, and the Executive Director for the Association of Ghana Startups, Solomon Adjei.