The Government of Ghana has officially authorized the transfer of mitigation outcomes for a second project to Switzerland, on the margin of the ongoing Climate Change Conference (COP 28). The project will promote sustainable composting for methane reduction in Ghana.

This project follows the authorization of Ghana’s first project on climate-smart rice production at COP27. The authorization is in line with the guidance of cooperative approaches in Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to pursue voluntary cooperation in the implementation of their climate plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Ghana is the first African country to kick-start initiatives under the Paris Agreement on cooperative approaches, and this second project is the fourth of its kind globally under Article 6.2.

“Ghana and Switzerland continue to set the pace to advance the implementation of the Article 6.2 and this authorization is another testament of our commitment to sustainability. I call on other governments to partner us to advance climate actions in different sectors to complement our efforts to mitigate climate change impacts in Ghana”, noted H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.

The new project will transform Ghana’s waste sector by creating four sustainably managed composting facilities to ensure safe disposal and sustainable treatment of organic waste to reduce environmental health hazards. It will provide an avenue for commercial waste projects, empowering national businesses to drive climate actions and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Ghana and Switzerland’s leadership on carbon markets is commendable. UNDP is proud to be a facilitator, partnering other African countries to replicate this success. I invite other countries and private partners to come on board, so we can unlock more innovative financing to accelerate climate change mitigation across Africa”, stated Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary General, and UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa.

The authorized project is expected to improve municipal waste management and significantly impact the climate. The target is to reduce over 1.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions (tCO2e) by 2030. In addition, the project will lead to the production of over 13,000 tonnes of grade A high-quality organic fertilizer per year to increase agricultural productivity.

In terms of livelihoods improvement, over 1000 direct jobs particularly for women and several thousand indirect jobs across the waste value chain are expected to be created by the project.

Under the cooperation, Ghana will exchange carbon credits with Switzerland for payment while maintaining the development benefits in the country.

“Ghana is the only country in Africa to authorise two projects under the same agreement on Article 6 with Switzerland. The presentation of the letter of authorization for the “Integrated waste recycling and composting for methane reduction in Ghana” project signifies the formal pre-approval of the project to achieve emission reduction, advance sustainable waste management and create green jobs”, noted Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI).