Berekum West MP Advocate Parliamentary Leadership for Sustainable Environment

The Member of Parliament for Berekum West, Dickson Kyere-Duah, has called for a stronger parliamentary leadership in promoting environmental sustainability and combating climate change, urging lawmakers to take decisive action through legislation, oversight and resource allocation.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament to commemorate World Environment Day 2026, the Berekum West legislator emphasised that environmental protection must remain a national priority as Ghana grapples with the growing impacts of climate change.
He noted that this year’s World Environment Day theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” underscores the critical role nature plays in sustaining human life and addressing the climate crisis.
“Nature is not separate from humanity; it is the very foundation of our future,” he said, adding that forests, wetlands, oceans and biodiversity continue to provide essential ecological services despite increasing pressure from human activities.
Hon. Kyere-Duah warned that climate change is already affecting communities across Ghana through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, floods, coastal erosion and declining agricultural productivity, with vulnerable populations bearing the brunt of the impact.
He advocated the adoption of nature-based solutions such as forest conservation, land restoration, wetland protection, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity preservation as effective and cost-efficient measures for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The MP acknowledged Ghana’s progress in advancing environmental sustainability through forest landscape restoration programmes, afforestation campaigns, climate-smart agriculture initiatives, renewable energy investments and community-based conservation efforts.
However, he emphasized that Parliament has a crucial role to play in strengthening environmental governance.
“As lawmakers in Ghana, we have a responsibility to strengthen environmental governance through effective legislation, oversight and resource allocation,” he stated. “We must continue to support policies that promote sustainable land use, responsible mining, waste management, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.”
Hon. Kyere-Duah highlighted recent international parliamentary efforts aimed at advancing climate action. He cited a decision by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Standing Committee on Sustainable Development to prepare a resolution on parliamentary leadership in protecting mountain and ocean ecosystems and achieving the global target of conserving 30 per cent of the world’s land and marine areas by 2030.
He also referenced the recent Regional Seminar on “African Parliaments for Climate Action: Reducing Methane, Promoting Development,” organised by the Parliament of Kenya in collaboration with the IPU and Climate Parliament. The seminar adopted a communiqué calling for stronger parliamentary leadership on climate action, enhanced regional cooperation and support for sustainable agriculture, energy systems and waste management.
The Berekum West MP further underscored the importance of youth participation in environmental stewardship. He revealed that Climate Action Clubs have been established in senior high schools within his constituency to nurture environmentally conscious young people.
“Their passion and commitment offer hope for a greener, more sustainable future,” he said.
Hon. Kyere-Duah also drew attention to methane emissions, describing methane as a powerful greenhouse gas responsible for a significant share of global warming. He urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to reduce methane emissions across agriculture, energy and waste management sectors.
According to him, cutting methane emissions would help slow global temperature rise, improve air quality, strengthen food security and protect biodiversity.
He called for a collective action among government, Parliament, the private sector, civil society organisations and citizens to build a greener and more resilient Ghana.
“The future we seek depends on the actions we take today,” he said.