Story by: Ishmael Barfi
As the world commemorates this year’s International Youth Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana has called on key stakeholders to invest in green skills of young people to enhance their development and growth.
According to UNFPA Ghana, the theme for this year’s commemoration Day: “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World is relevant for Ghana since it equally experiences the global climate crisis.
Therefore the need for young people to be involved in the action against climate change in efforts to achieve the country’s climate adaptation and sustainability action plans.
Meanwhile, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 57% of the population being under the age of 25. And amongst them, a significant number make up the workforce and are thus key to the country’s economic growth.
This was contained in a press release by the UNFPA Ghana office in Accra on this day, 12th August 2023.
To that effect, United Nations Population Fund Ghana believes that, Government, development partners, civil society, chiefs and traditional authorities and the private sector has a pivotal role in investing in green skills for young people by:
- Investing in education and training programs to teach young people about green skills.
- Providing financial support to young entrepreneurs working in green businesses.
- Creating an enabling political and policy environment for green businesses to thrive, and by;
- Raising awareness of the importance of green skills for young people.
“By investing in green skills for young people in Ghana, we can help them to build a sustainable future for the country, continent and world at large”, the release reiterated.
To lead by example, the Country Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has collaborated with the National Youth Authority to support the commemoration of the 2023 International Youth Day in Ghana.
Green skills are the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to support a sustainable, resource-efficient society.
They include skills in areas such as renewable energy, waste management, and climate change adaptation.
The release noted that, Green skills are essential for Ghana to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and young people need these skills and must be part of the solution to climate change.
In furtherance, the shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world is critical not only for responding to the global climate crisis but also for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A successful transition towards a greener world will depend on the development of green skills in the population.
Globally, Green transition will result in creation of 8.4 million jobs for young people by 2030. Young people need to be well-equipped with green skills to navigate this changing environment
UNFPA is the UN Sexual and Reproductive Health agency, working to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Whiles International Youth Day began in 2000 on the 12th August, and was initiated by the United Nations to celebrate the contribution that young people make in education, employment, conflict resolution and social justice among others.
Source: UNFPA GHANA
