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The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Park Kyongsig, has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, at his office in Accra.
The courtesy call was to reaffirm the Republic of Korea’s commitment to supporting Ghana in addressing environmental challenges and advancing sustainable development.
Welcoming the ambassador and his entourage, Dr Muhammed pledged to fast-track the signing and implementation of the Framework Agreement for Cooperation on Climate Change between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of Ghana.
The agreement, initialled by representatives of both governments in December 2023 on the sidelines of the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, seeks to strengthen the implementation of Ghana’s priority programmes in climate change response and energy transition.
Dr Muhammed gave the assurance that he would personally follow up to ensure the agreement is concluded and implemented.
“Usually, when there is a change of government, ongoing projects and agreements are halted.
However, this may not be the case with this government,” he said.
“Since the Korean side has held up their part of the process, I will expedite action to agree,” he added.
Commenting on the issue of illegal mining, Dr Muhammed reiterated the government’s renewed commitment to addressing the menace, noting its detrimental effects on water bodies and ecosystems.
“Although illegal mining has received significant political attention, it remains a pressing environmental issue,” he stated.
He hinted at Ghana’s interest in exploring Korean technology and expertise to address water pollution, but emphasised that real progress would depend on first tackling illegal mining.
“Investing in the purification of water bodies will only be meaningful after we deal with the root cause—galamsey,” he stressed.
The minister highlighted the government's flagship “Tree for Life” initiative, spearheaded by the ministry through the “One Child, One Tree” campaign.
He explained that the project would enable every senior high school student to plant and nurture a tree, contributing to reforestation and climate resilience.
Dr Muhammed also informed the Ambassador about Ghana’s growing commitment to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its green transport strategy.
However, he cited the lack of EV charging infrastructure as a major hurdle, saying, “We are, therefore, calling on Korea’s expertise in this area, given its advancement in EV technology and infrastructure.”
In his response, Ambassador Park congratulated the minister on his appointment and expressed Korea’s readiness to collaborate with Ghana in promoting environmental welfare and supporting sustainable national development.
He assured the minister of Korea’s interest in deepening bilateral cooperation, adding that he would engage relevant ministries in Korea regarding the areas raised by the Minister.
Ambassador Park emphasised that once finalised, the framework agreement would enable both countries to implement international greenhouse gas reduction projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
He also mentioned the establishment of the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) office in Ghana in April last year, explaining that the office aimed to foster collaboration and identify joint environmental projects.
The Ambassador announced that the Korea-Africa Environmental Cooperation Forum was scheduled to take place in Ghana in June 2025, during which a Korean delegation would visit Ghana for the event.
KEITI, he said, planned to invite approximately 80 participants from seven African countries to attend the forum and, therefore, extended an invitation to the minister to grace the occasion.
“During this forum, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea hopes to sign an MoU with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology to expand cooperation in the field of green transition,” the Ambassador said, urging the minister’s support for the proposed agreement.
