The GCF Country Programmes are expected to present an overview of a country's national context, policy framework and plans, nationally appropriate mitigation actions and summary of climate action agendas.

Speaking at the Launch of the GCF Country Programme for Ghana, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, the Director of Economics, Strategy and Research Division at the Ministry of Finance, said climate change had become a big issue in the global discourse in recent times.

In line with the Country Programme, it is expected that National stakeholders would be a key part of the process, including; the process of prioritising and selecting projects and programmes.

He said climate change constituted a serious risk to life on the planet and was believed to be the cause of many of the climate-induced Natural disaster occurring in several parts of the world.

He said Ghana's Nationally Determined Contributions (Gh-NDCs), reflected the country's ambition for reducing emission, taking into account the domestic circumstance and capacity and was approved with the country going ahead to develop its projects for implementation.

"In all, there are 35 programmes comprising 24 mitigations and 11 adaptation programme areas," he added.

Dr Iddrisu said it was estimated that Ghana would require a total amount of $22.6 billion to implement the ambitious programmes outlined in the Gh-NDCs document.

Out of the amount, $16.2 billion was expected from the international sources and $6.4 billion from domestic sources.

The Director said the Country was expecting about $5 billion from the GCF, representing 30.6 per cent of the external Fund expected to support the Gh-NDCs programmes.

Mr Aeneas Chuma, the UNPA Resident Representative to Ghana said the GCF Country Programme would be crucial in determining, which sectors, programmes and projects Ghana would want to prioritise with the Fund to enable it to attract needed funding to help deal with the effects of climate change.

He said UNDP has collaborated government in its efforts to mobilise the financial resources to address the challenges posed by climate change.

He said, UNDP had over the past four years supported the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in their climate change finance readiness efforts through the GCF Readiness Programme.

"This is aimed at supporting government in strengthening national capacities to effectively and efficiently plan for access, manage, deploy and monitor climate financing in particular through the GCF," he added.

He said the GCF Readiness Programme supported, enhanced direct access through accreditation of national entities to the GCF and was supporting Ghana to prepare climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes.

Mr Chuma emphasised that the UNDP would remain committed to support government and particularly the Ministry of Finance in mobilising needed financial resources to help combat climate change.