Written by Edith Mutesia in Accra, Ghana | ChinaDaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-09-18 17:05
China and Ghana are stepping up cooperation to fulfill their climate commitments at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit and developing joint initiatives in renewable energy, youth development, and technology transfer. The move signals a shift from high-level commitments to concrete actions aimed at accelerating green development and strengthening resilience to climate change.
At the FOCAC summit held in Beijing last September, China proposed a three-year plan that includes launching 30 new clean energy projects in Africa, establishing a weather early warning platform, and strengthening cooperation in disaster prevention and biodiversity conservation.
Isif Seidu, Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, said the two countries plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to formalize the climate change partnership.
Speaking at the first Ghana-China Climate Summit held in Ghana’s capital Accra on Tuesday, Seidu said the MoU will institutionalize cooperation and align the efforts of both countries with FOCAC goals.
He also proposed the launch of a Ghana-China Climate Business Summit to highlight advanced innovations in tackling climate change.
“Investors, entrepreneurs, financiers and innovators will come together to explore opportunities in renewable energy, circular economy, green agriculture, digital sustainability and climate-resilient infrastructure,” Seydoux said.
He added that such summits would position Ghana as a gateway for China’s broader green engagement in Africa, as well as foster new innovations, youth-led enterprises and investment opportunities in the Chinese market.
“Ghana stands ready to work with China and all partners to ensure that our shared economy is resilient, prosperous and sustainable,” Seidu said. “Together, let us build a future where infrastructure lasts, where economies are green and inclusive, and where people thrive in harmony with nature.”
Tong Defa, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, said China is willing to share technology and expertise with Ghanaians, especially the youth, through training programs.
He noted that Chinese companies are keen to partner with Ghanaian companies because Ghana’s clear regulations and structures support strong local participation.
“Hundreds of Chinese companies are investing in Ghana’s infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, aviation, green energy and oil refining, creating jobs for local people, advancing industrialization and safeguarding energy security,” Tong said.
Mr. Allswell Abankwa, Director of Climate Change and Sustainability at the Bank of Ghana, highlighted Ghana’s significant investment opportunities in solar power systems for Chinese companies to reduce dependence on the national electricity grid.
He also pointed to preferential financing for the electric vehicle sector and for financial institutions that can lend to start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises, including those led by women and youth.
Mr. Abankwa also proposed staff exchanges and joint training for young professionals between the central banks of Ghana and China to bridge the knowledge gap and help Ghanaian innovators gain the expertise developed by Chinese companies.
Mabel Larrier, project coordinator for Green Africa Youth Organization, said young people are committed to fighting climate change through innovations such as converting plastic into chairs, glass waste into concrete and organic waste into compost. However, she stressed that funding remains the biggest barrier.
Larrier added that while youth-led organizations are often invited to summits for “representative” purposes, their recommendations rarely influence policy or board decisions.
Bureaucracy also hinders their work, while gaps in proposal writing, financial management, and impact measurement further limit access to funding.
He called on China and Ghana to design programs to help young people improve their skills in renewable energy and green technology, and turn existing ideas into viable enterprises and green jobs.
Gordon Kwesi Adumza, executive director of China-Europe International Business School Africa, said that despite the growth in climate finance, innovators in Ghana face red tape, ministerial fragmentation, political disconnect and skills gaps.
“Precious time is lost between a government launching a project and a new administration taking over. This impacts how the project cascades to impact the various stakeholders that need to be involved,” Adumza said.
He called for a coordinated whole-of-government approach, improved policy coordination, and dedicated capacity building for innovators.
Mr. Adomza said that by reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, harmonizing the efforts of ministries and investing in skills development, Ghana can work with China to unlock climate finance at scale and accelerate the transition to a greener economy.
