Climate Communications and Local Governance-Africa (CCLG-Africa) has congratulated the Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mr Mahama Ayariga, on their appointment and subsequent swearing-in as Minister for Environment, Science and Technology and Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, respectively.
President John Dramani Mahama swore the two ministers into office on Saturday, August 29, 2026, following their approval by Parliament. In his charge, the President urged them to serve with integrity, humility, fairness and courage, placing the national interest and the welfare of Ghanaians at the centre of their responsibilities.
CCLG-Africa is a network of media professionals, environmental experts and local governance practitioners working at the intersection of climate communication, environmental sustainability, public policy and grassroots governance. The organisation seeks to localise climate action through public education and community engagement, strengthen the capacity of climate advocates, facilitate stakeholder dialogue and knowledge-sharing, promote environmental justice and sustainable ecosystems, and advance accountable natural resource and local governance.
The organisation said Dr Agyeman-Rawlings’ appointment comes at a critical juncture for Ghana’s environmental and climate agenda, with mounting pressure to address illegal mining, ecosystem degradation and the wider effects of climate change.
CCLG-Africa is calling on the new minister to provide fair, firm and fearless leadership in tackling illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and the degradation of Ghana’s forests, rivers and other ecosystems.
It also urged the Ministry to strengthen science-based environmental governance, regulation and enforcement, while ensuring that environmental policies translate into measurable improvements on the ground.
The organisation believes Ghana’s environmental challenges cannot be addressed by one ministry or institution alone. It is therefore advocating a whole-of-government and all-of-society approach involving Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, traditional authorities, the Environmental Protection Authority, civil society organisations, academia, the media, development partners, women and youth groups, and affected communities.
CCLG-Africa further encouraged Dr Agyeman-Rawlings to make climate communication, community engagement and locally driven climate action central to the Ministry’s work.
National climate commitments, it said, will have limited impact if they remain largely at the policy level. For Ghana’s climate and environmental goals to endure, communities must understand them, participate in their implementation and have a meaningful stake in the outcomes.
The organisation also pledged its support and cooperation to both ministers, particularly in advancing Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement and strengthening the country’s capacity to take advantage of opportunities under Article 6 for international cooperation on climate action.
Linking environment and local governance
CCLG-Africa said the mandates of the two ministries are closely connected, arguing that many of Ghana’s environmental challenges are ultimately experienced and managed at the local level.
Effective decentralisation, spatial planning, sanitation, waste management, environmental protection and community participation all depend on capable and accountable local institutions.
The organisation therefore expressed its readiness to work with Mr Ayariga and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to strengthen climate-responsive local governance and ensure that communities are treated not simply as beneficiaries of development programmes, but as active partners in Ghana’s sustainable development.
For CCLG-Africa, the appointments present an opportunity to strengthen the link between national policy and local action—particularly at a time when environmental degradation, climate vulnerability and weaknesses in local governance increasingly intersect.
The organisation wished Dr Agyeman-Rawlings and Mr Ayariga wisdom, courage and success as they take on their respective national responsibilities, and reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement in support of Ghana’s environmental sustainability, climate resilience and accountable local governance.
Great! We wish them well