EPA CEO urges journalists to lead Ghana’s climate storytelling ahead of COP30

Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has called on journalists and climate communicators to take the forefront in narrating Ghana’s climate journey at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil.

Speaking at the launch of the National Climate and Environmental Communication Initiative (NCECI) in Accra on Tuesday, Prof. Klutse highlighted Ghana’s progress in implementing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and advancing a just transition agenda, stressing the need for these achievements to be effectively shared on the global stage.

“As the global community prepares for COP30 in Brazil later this year, communication on climate action is shifting towards implementation and transparency. For Ghana, this means strengthening not only our policies and commitments, but also the way we communicate them,” she said.

Prof. Klutse noted that while Ghana continues to face the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and coastal erosion, public understanding remains limited. “Too often, climate information stays confined to technical reports and policy circles. But the farmers, fishermen, youth, and business leaders whose choices shape our future need to hear and understand this message,” she added.

Launched in partnership with Knutsford University, the NCECI aims to build a national network of skilled communicators, journalists, corporate actors, and educators capable of delivering clear and relatable environmental messages. The initiative also seeks to enhance media professionals’ capacity to report accurately and creatively on climate issues.

“This initiative positions Ghana to tell its own story,one of resilience, innovation, and leadership, in a language our people understand. A well-informed nation is a stronger negotiating nation,” Prof. Klutse emphasised.

Prof. Akua Opokua Britwum, Chairperson of the National Media Commission, welcomed the initiative, urging journalists to seize the opportunity to specialise in environmental reporting, noting its importance in fostering behavioural change and community-level action.

The NCECI programme will also support corporate sustainability communication, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, engage youth through the Action for Climate Empowerment framework, and promote collaboration between government, academia, and the private sector.

COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025, marks ten years since the signing of the Paris Agreement. The conference will focus on reviewing countries’ progress toward limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C and accelerating implementation of climate commitments.