He said government had signed the Paris Agreement on April 22 and had ratified the treaty on September 21, which came into force. Dr Osafo was speaking at the United Nations United Development Programme (UNDP)’s “Nkitahodie” Policy Dialogue with Political Parties on the Paris Climate Change Agreement in Accra.

He said Political Parties played a crucial role to advocate  climate change and promote ideas, concepts and solutions for Ghana’s future economic and environmental development.

"As political parties develop their manifestoes leading to the December election, it is critical that issues of climate change and environmental challenges in the country are given prominence in their developmental agenda," he added.

He said the agreement set the goal to enhance the countries’ capacity to adapt to climate change, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability. “It is also to establish a dedicated framework, separate from adaptation to address all related issues,” he said. Professor Chris Gordon, Director of Institute for Environment and Sanitation, College of Basic and Applied Science, University of Ghana said adaptation and mitigation were the two strategies to address climate change.

He said Ghanaians were mostly interested in adaptation more than mitigation in addressing climate change. He said Ghana had 11 adaptations and 20 mitigation programmes and five priority action plans expanding 2015 to 2020. Mr Mulugeta Abebe, the Deputy Country Director of UNDP, commended government for the ratification of the agreement.

He said with the agreement all countries were committed to reducing the green house gas effect. He said the UNDP supported Government to develop the Ghana’s intended nationally determined contribution and accompany explanatory note. He said effect were underway to support government to develop strategic plan for the implementation of the explanatory note.

He said the agreement needed strong commitment from political parties to implement the Paris agreement. Political parties present to explain their policies on issues of climate change in their manifestoes included the Governing National Democratic Congress, the Opposition New Patriotic Party, Progressive People’s Party, Convention People’s Party and the People’s National Convention.