Mr Seidu Issifu, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, says fossil-fuel extraction remains the dominant driver of global greenhouse gas emissions despite decades of international climate negotiations, and continues to undermine efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He said the persistence of fossil-fuel production plans, which remain misaligned with scientific targets, exposed a major governance gap in the global climate regime.

The Minister was speaking at the High-Level Dialogue on the Global Just Transition and the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative in Accra.

The dialogue aimed to assess Ghana’s energy pathways, explore enhanced international cooperation under initiatives such as the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and strengthen African-led narratives ahead of key global engagements.

Mr. Issifu said while the Paris Agreement provided guidance on emissions reductions, there was currently no comprehensive global framework to manage a fair, orderly, and well-financed phase-out of fossil fuels.

He highlighted that climate impacts were no longer distant threats but present-day realities, particularly for countries such as Ghana.

The Minister pointed to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, worsening floods, and accelerating coastal erosion, which were already disrupting agriculture, threatening livelihoods, and placing additional pressure on public finances and social stability.

He said Ghana’s decision to convene the dialogue reflected its longstanding commitment to climate ambition grounded in equity.

“Under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, Ghana has elevated climate action to the highest level of governance through the establishment of the Office,” he added.

Mr Issifu said this reform ensured climate considerations were central to national decision-making and economic transformation.

He stressed that Africa’s development priorities, including energy access, job creation, fiscal resilience, and debt sustainability, must be central to any global just-transition framework.

Mr. Issifu emphasised that fair climate finance and debt justice were critical to achieving a just transition, noting that many African countries, including Ghana, spend more on debt servicing than on health, education, or climate action.

He described the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty as a framework that could help unlock finance, support debt relief, and ensure a predictable transition aligned with the 1.5-degree goal.

He called on more African countries to actively engage in shaping future global energy governance, stressing that Africa must not be a passive recipient of externally designed solutions.

Mr. Kumi Naidoo, President, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, called on African countries to take an active role in shaping global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels, warning that the continent was bearing the brunt of a climate crisis it did not create amid rising debt and limited fiscal space.

He said Africa continued to face severe climate impacts while struggling with high debt burdens that constrain investment in renewable energy and climate adaptation.

Mr. Naidoo noted that despite decades of fossil fuel extraction, about 600 million Africans still lacked access to electricity, making Africa the world’s largest energy-poverty hotspot.

He stressed, however, that Africa holds nearly 40 per cent of the world’s renewable energy potential, presenting a major opportunity for a clean, electrified future if supported by the right policies and international cooperation.

Mr. Naidoo commended Ghana’s leadership in climate governance and diplomacy but cautioned that no country or continent could manage the transition alone.

Mr. Naidoo said the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty offered a practical pathway for a managed and equitable global transition, providing mechanisms for just-transition finance, technology transfer, debt relief, and fairer economic rules.

He noted that the initiative was already backed by 18 countries, including fossil fuel producers such as Colombia, and urged African nations to join the process to ensure the continent’s development priorities were reflected in future global energy decisions.