The Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is calling the Judiciary to take keen interest in the draft Energy Transition policy document.
The Minister made these known during a stakeholder engagement with the Judicial Service (Southern Sector) in Accra on Thursday.
The Energy MInister said "I have the strong believe that you will take keen interest in the draft Energy Transition Plan"
Explaining further, he said "The reason for the extensive collaboration, extensive stakeholder consultation is simple. Energy Transition affects everybody in the country and it affects our activities and our daily living that is why it is so essential to consult everybody. When we consult everybody. From the market woman to the person with the suit and the tie"
The Minister also said "It has the potential of dramatically changing our way of life so everybody should be involved. We will be meeting the judiciary tomorrow after meeting the parliamentarians today. The committee of Lands and Natural Resources, Water and Sanitation, Environment and Finance are all Committees that we have engaged with on this"
He revealed that since the advent of the Paris Climate Conference in 2015, Ghana under His Excellency, John Mahama made some commitments towards the Energy Climate agenda called the Nationally Determined Contributions.
Napo noted that it warranted Ghana to take certain actions on the energy transition agenda.
He hinted that Ghana gave the commitment that by 2030, 10% of its energy mix be renewable or clean energy.
"10% of our energy mix should be renewable or clean meanwhile we already have 40% of our energy being renewable or clean because of our hydro but of course, because we have a huge amount of that energy, the Paris Climate Agenda decided that we call that Legacy generation so we are starting from zero and between 2015 and now, we have put in place a lot of work to ensure that we embark on the clean energy agenda"
"The clean agenda led us to go to parliament in 2020 to renew the renewable energy act to ensure that from individuals to corporate citizens to industry, everybody contributes to this agenda of clean energy"
"In Ghana, over 60% of our energy use is from wood fuel, which means cutting down on our forests and committing them into charcoal and using them directly in feeding ourselves"
"Let us not think that this energy transition has an agenda that we should not think about. I dont think any secondary school in this country should use wood fuel or charcoal, because the effects it has on the vulnerable. We need to change that agenda"
"Apart from cooking, we come to cars. Now we have cars everywhere. Once the dollar is out of control, our citizens are going to suffer. We should not think that one's activities is going to affect the other"
Dr. Prempeh stressed that Ghana has to quickly find a way of transiting from diesel and petrol to a more cheaper fuel like gas or solar.
"We are trying to get into E-Vehicles. So energy transition, we have to understand is not something that is far away from us. They developing the E-Vehicles such that me and you will enjoy the cars and also allow those who want to drive at high speeds also do so"
He reminded the Judiciary that the Energy Transition is to ensure that the citizenry is aware of what is happening.
"All the cars in Europe are switching to electric but we are getting there and by 20 or 39 years time, all these diesel/petrol will be out. We have to embrace the technology as quickly as possible to enable us play an economic role"
"We have solar in the country to put on in our houses and this year when the PURC catches up with the tariffs, it is bringing what we call the net zero charges. We have to engage ourselves, our communities and the citizens to accept that it is here with us and what are we doing to take advantage of it"
"In a developing country like ours where we desperately need to create jobs through industrialization, we should not use that agenda to increase our carbon footprint but challenge ourselves and use clean renewable energy in minimizing our footprint"
The Minister for Energy commended his Deputy, Dr. Amin Adam and the Deputy Transport Minister, Hon. Obeng for touring all 16 regions and explaining to Ghanaians the need for the Energy Transition Plan.
On his part, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Hassan Sulemana Tampuli said "We all know what transport does in the energy sector and you will all agree with me that the transport set is very vital to the functioning of our economy and also ensures social protection"
He added that depending on what technology is being adopted, there could be direct and indirect impact on the natural environment.
He revealed that per the data available to the Transport Ministry from DVLA indicates that as 2021, out of the 2.8 million registered vehicles, 72% are powered by petrol, 27% by diesel engines and less than 1% by LPG and other energy sources.
"The results of this high dependency on fossil fuel coupled with a number of factors including the traffic congestion has made the transport sector a net emitter of greenhouse cars"
The Deputy Minister noted that achieving a net zero future requires a coordinated approach.
"It also means that we also need to work on the way we use and generate energy to power the various sectors of the economy" he stressed.
"Globally, countries are responding to the call for a net zero emission future. The United Nations has set a target to achieve a net zero future by 2050."
In his remarks, the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Anin Yeboah said "It is indeed a welcoming initiative, to seek the broad view of members of this arm of government on the Energy Transition Plan, taking cognisance of the fact that a shift to a greener future as a nation, is imminent"
He added that Ghana obviously cannot stand aloof, at a time the drive fir Global Energy Transition is at its peak.
He stressed that there is certainly a need to strategically plan, through this broad consultation to find a remedy, if not a lasting solution to the challenges as a people.
"Today's session, as I am made aware, is meant for broadly selected members of the bench, representing the Southern Sector"
He commended the his colleagues on the Supreme Court Bench for taking time of their busy schedules to partake in the draft Energy Transition Plan.
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Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith