President John Dramani Mahama in green shirt with other dignitaries
President John Dramani Mahama in a rousing address to mark World Environment Day 2025, stated that “The future is not something we enter; it is something we create,” rallying the nation to take bold, united action to combat plastic pollution and restore Ghana’s natural environment.
Speaking at Kwabenya Senior High School in Accra on June 5, 2025, President Mahama launched the One Tree Per Child Initiative, a nationwide tree-planting campaign that will engage every school-aged child in planting and caring for at least one tree.
The programme is expected to see tens of millions of trees planted by 2030, helping to cool cities, restore ecosystems, and instil environmental responsibility among the youth.
The President also officially kick-started a nationwide tree planting exercise, under the broader Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative, aiming to plant 30 million trees between June 5 and June 30.
“Our rivers, forests, and farms are under pressure but we can turn this around,” President Mahama told the crowd, which included ministers, diplomats, students, and civil society leaders.
“When every child plants and protects a tree, that tree becomes a symbol of hope, unity, and commitment.”
World Environment Day 2025 is themed globally around “Ending Plastic Pollution,” with Ghana adopting the national theme “Repurpose Plastic Use” and the slogan “Rethink Plastic Pollution, ‘ACT’ Now.”
The Minister of Environment Science and Technology Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed emphasised that the slogan captures the core of the nation’s environmental strategy:
•for Awareness through education.
•C for Conscious consumption by individuals and industries; and
•T for Transformation through innovation and policy reform.
The minister also announced that the One Tree Per Child initiative would serve as MEST flagship contribution to the Tree for Life programme, reinforcing climate resilience and reforestation through youth engagement.
In line with this vision, the government is advancing the National Plastics Management Policy, mandating accountability from producers and supporting innovations in recycling and biodegradable alternatives.
KA
