Source: Cedric Dzelu, Technical Director
Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability
Accra, Ghana – Hon. Seidu Issifu, Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, has made a compelling call for debt forgiveness for the Global South.
Speaking at the Africa-Europe Climate Convening in Bonn, he emphasized that African countries are being forced to borrow to respond to disasters they did not cause.
According to Hon. Issifu, Africa’s escalating debt crisis is directly related to the increasing impacts of climate change.
“We are borrowing to recover from climate shocks, to rebuild homes, to treat sick livestock, and to sustain our communities,” he explained. “This is climate debt — and it is unjust.”
Despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, African countries bear the greatest burden of the climate crisis and face the highest adaptation costs, estimated to reach up to $1.9 trillion by 2030.
Hon. Seidu Issifu, Ghana’s Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Dialogue
Hon. Issifu challenged the prevailing narrative that frames climate finance as a gesture of generosity from the Global North, insisting instead on accountability, equity, and reparations.
The Minister highlighted the severe impact of climate debt on critical sectors such as animal health, food security, and public health. “Every cedi we spend servicing climate debt is a cedi lost to farmers, veterinarians, researchers, and families,” he stated. “This debt is not only financial — it is a barrier to resilience.”
Hon. Issifu outlined a clear agenda for COP30, advocating for a new Africa-Europe pact on climate debt justice, including debt cancellation provisions within climate finance mechanisms, and full acknowledgment of climate debt as part of the Loss and Damage framework.
He also called for increased direct support to climate-vulnerable systems like agriculture, animal health, and water infrastructure, alongside a fundamental shift in how adaptation is funded and evaluated.
“We cannot negotiate our way out of the climate crisis while being burdened by debt,” Hon. Issifu declared.
“Justice must come first. This is not a handout we are asking for — it is restitution.
The Global South has carried this burden for too long. The time for climate debt forgiveness is now.”
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
