UN Secretary-General warmly welcomes US steps to rejoin Paris Agreement on Climate Change

The UN Secretary-General has welcomed President Biden’s steps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and join the growing coalition of governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious action to confront the climate crisis.  

 
Following last year’s Climate Ambition Summit, countries producing half of global carbon pollution had committed to carbon neutrality.

The commitment by President Biden brings that figure to two-thirds. But there is a very long way to go. The climate crisis continues to worsen and time is running out to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and build more climate-resilient societies that help to protect the most vulnerable. 
 
Antonio Gutteres is looking forward to the leadership of United States in accelerating global efforts towards net zero, including by bringing forward a new nationally determined contribution with ambitious 2030 targets and climate finance in advance of COP26 in Glasgow later this year. 
 
“I am committed to working closely with President Biden and other leaders to overcome the climate emergency, and recover better from COVID19,” he said.
 

On Wednesday 27 January, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford will launch the global results of the ‘Peoples' Climate Vote.’ The survey is the biggest ever on public opinion on climate change and covers 50 countries and more than half of the world’s population over the age of 14. 
 
The innovative survey was distributed across mobile gaming apps in order to include hard-to-reach audiences in traditional polling, like young people under the age of 18. It asked people if they believe that climate change is a global emergency and the policies – across energy, economy, food and farms, transportation, protecting people, and nature – that they would like to see enacted. 
 

Minerals Commission seeks public support to curb illegal mining

The Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission is confident the operations of its special taskforce will help curb the spate of illegal mining activities in the country.

Officials however say sustained success will depend on public cooperation and collaboration to expose individuals and syndicates involved in promoting illegal gold mining.

The increasing rate of foreigners in Ghana’s small scale mining sector has been a source of grave worry to the citizenry.

Gold mined illegally leads to land degradation, destruction of farmlands, pollution of water bodies, high accident rates leading to death at the mines and rise in social vices in communities. The illegal miners also do not pay royalties and taxes to the State.

“We’re liaising very well with the national security sub-committee on lands and natural resources and we’ve been going round arresting, especially the foreigners in the field; that one is never done anywhere in the world that foreigners will go to some place and they’ll start illegally taking up their natural property”, said Joseph Frimpong, a Mines Inspector in the Ashanti region.

There is presently a renewed drive to flush out such illegal miners to save the environment and protect natural resources.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has stated that moves have been initiated to identify and weed out companies with expired licenses who are illegally leasing out concessions to galamsey operators.

He also wants to expose politicians and chiefs involved in galamsey operations

President John Mahama has also assured the security agencies of adequate support to flush out illegal miners across the country.

Mr. Joseph Frimpong however believes uprooting the illegal activities requires deeper collaborations, especially in reporting practices at their early stages.

“For small scale mining, no foreigner is permitted, no foreigner is allowed”, he emphasized. “Yes we welcome foreigner but we’re not expecting that they go into illegal activity. Landlords should report them, that even though they’ve taken rooms and accommodation in your houses, they are engaged in illegal activities”.

Mr. Frimpong has commended the proactive posture of interest groups in the Ahafo Ano North District of Ashanti to uproot galamsey activities.

He expects local and traditional authorities as well as other interest groups to be conversant with laws governing mining in the country, especially the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703 and subsequent legislative instruments.

Meanwhile, trade and business groups are taking keep interest to sensitize members on the need to get involved in the national drive to discourage illegal mining.

President of the Ghana Employers Association, Terry Darko, says businesses have the responsibility to speak out against such practices.

“All of us are witnessing the way small scale mining is destroying our environment. As businesses we may need to speak because if the environment is compromised, it will affect the health and safety of our workers of today and the general tomorrow and it can create problems for all of us. So let us not think that it is the responsibility of only the security agencies”, he noted.

 

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh