Ghana has urged China and its African partners to move beyond climate finance pledges and accelerate investments that generate jobs, support green industrialisation and strengthen resilience to climate change.

The call was made by the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability during a high-level discussion at the Ghana Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Wednesday.

The discussion, held under the theme “Shared Future, Shared Prosperity: Aligning Climate Prosperity Plans with the Green Belt and Road”, examined ways to translate commitments under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) into viable investment projects across Africa.

The minister said climate action should be treated as an economic investment rather than an act of charity, arguing that it could help countries accelerate industrialisation, create decent jobs, improve energy security and build resilient economies.

“For Ghana, climate action is not charity; it is a strategic investment in our future,” he said.

He highlighted Ghana’s role as host of the headquarters of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable Twenty Group (CVF-V20), which advocate for countries and economies facing severe climate risks.

The minister also pointed to President John Dramani Mahama’s establishment of a dedicated Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability as part of efforts to improve leadership and coordination of climate action across government.

He said Ghana was pursuing its climate objectives through its Nationally Determined Contributions, National Green Finance Taxonomy and measures aimed at strengthening institutional coordination and mobilising climate finance.

The country’s Climate Prosperity Plan was also identified as a framework for connecting climate ambitions with investment opportunities.

The minister stressed that access to affordable financing and debt sustainability must remain central to the development prospects of climate-vulnerable countries.

On Africa-China cooperation, he welcomed China’s commitment under the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan for 2025–2027 to support 30 clean energy and green development projects across Africa.

However, he said the partnership should be assessed by the projects delivered and the development benefits achieved rather than commitments alone.

“The true measure of our partnership must be our ability to translate these commitments into bankable projects, mobilized finance, and tangible development outcomes,” he said.

With the action plan approaching its final year, he called for greater urgency in preparing projects, attracting investment and moving commitments into implementation.

He said country platforms and Climate Prosperity Plans could help African governments identify their development priorities, build credible investment pipelines and connect projects to financing, technology and implementation partners.

The Green Belt and Road Initiative, he added, could provide an avenue for investment in renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialisation and green technologies.

Such investments, he said, must align with national priorities, develop local capabilities and deliver lasting benefits to communities.

The minister also called for practical outcomes from cooperation between the CVF-V20 and the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition.

He said the success of the partnership should be judged by the investments mobilised, jobs created and resilience built in vulnerable communities.

“Our success should be measured by the projects we developed, the investments we mobilized, the jobs we create, and the resilience we build for our communities,” he said.

He further emphasised the need for African countries to lead decisions on their development priorities and investment pathways.

“Above all, let us ensure that African countries remain at the center of defining and driving their own development pathways,” he said.

Ghana’s position at the discussion was that Africa-China climate cooperation must move beyond financing commitments to deliver investable projects, strengthen local economies and produce measurable improvements in people’s lives.

Ghana calls on China, Africa to turn climate pledges into bankable projects at COP31

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