President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared June 10 as this year’s Green Ghana Day with a target to plant 20 million trees across the country.

He has, therefore, called on all Ghanaians and foreigners living in the country to plant at least one tree to help increase the country’s forest cover, which has been depleted by over eight million hectares since the 1900s, to address the negative impact of Climate Change. 

“We have chosen as a theme for this years’ edition, ‘Mobilising for a Greener Future’.”

“A greener future is necessary for the survival of our planet, and we must do all we can to bequeath to future generations, a greener, better planet,” he said. 

President Akufo-Addo made these remarks when he launched the 2022 Green Ghana Day in Accra yesterday. 

“This requires that we mobilise our entire population to ensure that each Ghanaian and each foreigner living in Ghana plants at least one tree on the day. 

“But we can only achieve this if we mobilise our populations, and commit to the restoration of our ecosystems,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo appealed to all Ghanaians, including government workers, Members of Parliament, corporate Ghana, traditional leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, judges, students, religious leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps, among others, to participate in the exercise. 

The Green Ghana initiative, according to the President, would leave a big legacy for future generations through the planting of trees.  

He said Article 41(k) of the country’s Constitution imposed a duty on every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment, and urged Ghanaians to consider the tree planting exercise as one of the ways of fulfilling that constitutional obligation. 

“This noble venture ought to be funded and executed through our collective efforts, and as much as possible, without burdening the public treasury. We can do it and I call on all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana to contribute in diverse ways in this Godly endeavour,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that the country’s forest was one of the most important natural resources for the country’s socio-economic development.

“Apart from their economic benefits, forests are necessary for our own survival and the survival of our planet. 

“With just eight years to achieve the Goals we set for ourselves in the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change continues to derail our efforts by impacting the fundamentals required to achieve the Goals”. 

No poverty, zero hunger, good health, gender equality, clean water, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, life on land, and life below water, are all being negatively impacted by climate change,” he said.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor, expressed the ministry’s commitment to undertake aggressive afforestation and reforestation, and galvanise Ghanaians to participate in greening the nation. 

He said the ministry would take all necessary steps to protect the country’s forest cover from further depletion. 

In that regard, he said the ministry had placed an outright ban on the harvesting, salvaging, processing, auctioning, exporting and importing of Rosewood.

“We recognise that the cause of making Ghana Green requires collective action and the participation of all and sundry. 

“We do this for the survival of our planet, and this is the time to preserve our country for the future. Let us join hands to mobilise for a greener future,” he said.