Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Seidu Issifu, delivered a powerful and forward-looking address at the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) Leaders’ Dialogue on the theme “Shaping Resilient Futures”, held during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80).
Representing HE John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, Issifu joined global heads of state, development leaders, and ministers to reaffirm Africa’s commitment to scaling up climate adaptation and resilience.
The dialogue was co-chaired by:
• HE Macky Sall, 4th President of Senegal and Chair of the GCA Board
• HE Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Honorary Chair of the GCA Board
• HE Åsmund Aukrust, Minister for International Development of Norway (GCA Board Member)
The session was moderated by Professor Patrick V. Verkooijen, President & CEO of the GCA, and opened with compelling remarks from Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, who called for greater investment in agricultural innovation to advance climate resilience and food security.
Other global leaders including HE William Ruto (President of Kenya and Chair of CAHOSCC), HE Sidi Ould Tah (President, African Development Bank Group), HE Hilda Heine (President, Republic of the Marshall Islands), HE Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Chairperson, African Union Commission), and HE Ana Toni (Executive Director, COP30 Presidency) delivered interventions underscoring the urgency of adaptation and the launch of the latest State and Trends in Adaptation Report.
In his statement, 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 and urgent response to the realities faced by millions of Africans.
He recalled Ghana’s own experience with the Akosombo Dam floods, which displaced thousands, and the worsening droughts destroying harvests across Africa.
“Adaptation is not optional for us — it is a necessity,” Issifu stated.
“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.
During the discussion, Issifu raised a critical point that resonated across the room: 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 emphasised.
“We must have an honest conversation about 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 innovative financial instruments that unlock capital for adaptation at scale.
Issifu expressed Ghana’s strong support for AAAP 2.0 – “Blueprint for a Resilient Africa”, which was advanced at the 2nd Africa Climate Summit, and called for partners to scale commitments rather than step back.
He stressed that success would depend on sustained collaboration between governments, communities, and the private sector.
Looking ahead to COP30 in Brazil, he reiterated that adaptation must remain front and centre of the global climate agenda, and that Africa’s voice — and Africa’s solutions — must be amplified.
The Leaders’ Dialogue featured contributions from HE Umaro Sissoco Embalo (President, Guinea-Bissau), HE Philip Mpango (Vice President, Tanzania), HE Mia Mottley (Prime Minister, Barbados), HE Faure Gnassingbé (President, Togo), HE Allah-Maye Halina (Prime Minister, Chad), HE Luc Mercelina (Prime Minister, Sint Maarten), and HE Lamine Zeine Ali Mahman (Prime Minister, Niger).
Dozens of ministers, development partners, and private sector leaders from around the globe reaffirmed their commitment to advancing adaptation solutions for vulnerable nations.
Seidu Issifu’s participation at UNGA80 underscored Ghana’s rising profile as a leader 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 architecture that places climate action at the heart of development planning, ensuring no community is left behind.
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