Govt makes a Case for Green Economy in Ghana

Government says its key aim for a transition to a green economy is to promote economic growth and investment, while increasing environmental quality and social inclusiveness. This will in turn lead to sustainable development.

Mr Kweku Ricketts-Hagan Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry said this at a Workshop to launch the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in Ghana.

The launch was sponsored by MESTI, in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization, United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nation Industrial Development Organization and the United Nation Institute of Training and Research.

‘‘Government is dedicated to a realistic transformation of policies, which seeks to achieve the green economy objectives, reflected in the different energy-related programmes, most notably is the increasing energy renewable in the energy mix and the increasing energy access’’.

“These interventions have resulted in significant reduction in energy consumption in Ghana,” Said Mr Ricketts-Hagan.

The objectives of the workshop was to make a case for green economy in Ghana to a wide range of stakeholders, to identify with local stakeholders on how PAGE could support the efforts of Ghana to transform a more inclusive Green Economy within the wider objective of achieving a (higher) middle income economy.

‘‘PAGE is also to build an enabling condition in participating countries by shifting investment and policies towards the creation of a new generation of assets, such as clean technologies, resource efficient infrastructure, well-functioning ecosystems, green skilled labour and good governance’’. He said.

‘‘Critical to attaining such objective, is to create conditions for public and private investments to incorporate broader environmental and social activities, in order to achieve greater social inclusion, and to enhance the natural basis for wealth creation, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction’’. He said.

Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), said the Government of Ghana is taking steps to implement Green Economy policies in the country.

He said Ghana had developed a national Sustainable Consumption and Production programme, which took conservation measures and programmes, such as the ban on the importation of incandescent filament lamps and the implementation of the Refrigerator Energy Efficiency project.

Mr Opong-Fosu said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of MESTI, Dr Sylvester Animana, He said in the latest budget statement, Government had taken steps to implement the environmental fiscal policy reform in Ghana, and that, the country is also participating in the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan of the European Union to stop illegal logging.

Mr Opong-Fosu said Ghana had already undertaken a scoping study to review economic assessments and policy options for the transition to green economy in Ghana, which was undertaken with the support of the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), through a joint programme on green economy, which makes a strong case that the potential benefits of green economy in Ghana are substantial.

He said Ghana stands to benefit from significant economic, environmental and social gains by shifting major investments to green in the key economic sectors of the country, and that, the priority key sectors for green economy initiatives should be in line with the vision and aspirations of the National Climate and Environment Policies that were recently launched.

Check the 6th Generation Isuzu Pick-ups Built in Africa

The evolution of General Motors over the years has been tremendous as it crossed through a lot of successions.

The capabilities of early General Motors were simply endless and so very special, especially when considering the availability of machinery and advent of technology.

The uniqueness of General Motors was continually guarded even in the initial years of manufacturing.

The ‘New Isuzu pick up’, a symbolic  off-road tough performance vehicle targetted at redefining automotive standards and capabilities with both domestic and export markets confirms it’s supremacy in the global automobile industry.

The Isuzu Pick-up followed extensive testing and engineering leading up to its launch in 2013 – covering some 1.3-million kilometres of strenuous driving in extreme conditions.

“With the 6^th generation Isuzu Pick-up, we took an unprecedented approach to its development with
specific focus points directly related to the African markets in which it is designed to serve,” said Quality Manager at General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Andy Alexander.

“Along with our highly qualified and experienced engineering team, and involving the various departments who are jointly responsible for the design, development and production of this world-class pick-up, we left no stone unturned in the development process.

The Isuzu heritage of innovation, toughness, durability, reliability and functionality was put to the ultimate test.” he said.

Quality of production
With the harsh environments of the African continent dictating vehicle specifications and design including fuel quality, road conditions, consumer demands and vehicle versatility – Isuzu engineers not only had to design and develop specific elements of the Isuzu Pick-up to cope on a long-term basis, but also ensure the quality of each and every aspect that goes into the production of an internationally renowned pick-up – to ensure complete peace of mind and trouble-free motoring for the customer.

Built-in quality (BIQ) at the Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, is the most important element in this regard.

At every stage of the production process – from the body shop and paint shop to assembly and final inspection – each element is verified to ensure maximum quality in all respects.

Subscribing to a Global Manufacturing System (GMS), which makes obligatory global regulations and requirements on the GMSA plant, key focus areas are monitored to ensure ultimate production quality.
Exercises involved include continuous improvement principles, standardisation of tasks and processes, people involvement, short lead-times and built-in quality.

The latter in particular expresses the overall goal of creating a quality product in every aspect and is measured on a tier basis.

Benefitting directly from GMSA’s high engineering involvement with the new Isuzu Pick-up, the vehicle was fine-tuned and toughened to operate without problems in the harsh African environment.

“The Isuzu Pick-up has always performed consistently in the IPSOS quality surveys and in designing the all-new, 6^th-generation model, we strived to improve on our already high levels of quality,” said Alexander.

“Engineering and testing, which began as far back as 2010, included important factors which are particularly significant for the region – such as high altitudes, a large operating temperature range, high proportions of very dusty roads, particularly corrosive environments, varying fuel quality, bad road conditions, and specific towing and load requirements.”

As a result, the new Isuzu Pick-up features a number of uniquely African solutions to the problems and challenges that were identified. For example, a larger radiator is fitted to assist in improved cooling, and the radiator fan is indeed placed behind the radiator to remove the risk of fan blade damage when entering water at speed.

The high-ride suspension design which allows for ground clearance of up to 224 mm (linked to high profile tyres) enables for enhanced peace of mind when driving on particularly bad roads.

Furthermore, specific attention was paid to underbody components like fuel lines and side skirts, where special protective plates were added to prevent damage from stone rash on the move.

On the engine front, all engines are capable of running on even the lowest quality fuels.
Safety is also naturally an Isuzu hallmark, and the new Pick-up has been engineered with key safety principles in mind which hold particular importance in the African context – to maximise stopping power, assist with steering input under hard braking and reduce stopping distances.

Further safety-critical factors were also considered, like impact-absorbing materials in the front end which not only reduce frontal damage in an impact but also provide enhanced protection for pedestrians, as a first line of defence.

Adding further strength to the equation is Isuzu’s legendary reputation for off-road driving capability.
With certain derivatives available with four-wheel drive, traversing even the toughest of environments becomes an easy and enjoyable task thanks to great ground clearance, all-terrain tyres and an advanced 4×4 system with an electronic configuration switch which allows for easy transition between 2-Hi, 4-Hi and 4-Lo driving modes.

Adding power to the quality promise behind GM vehicles is a group of highly-competent and professionally-trained individuals who are dedicated to customer service, product quality and an enjoyable, long-lasting ownership experience.

To this end, National Service Technical Forums are held in South Africa whereby Sub-Saharan Africa service technicians are able to liaise with their South African colleagues to share knowledge and experiences, in order to improve the GM product and service offering in Africa.

These quality assessment processes, which also include problem identification, analysis and solution implementation, form a combined effort to improve quality between the various GM departments – including source plants across the globe where shared knowledge allows for global product quality improvement.

Furthermore, an experienced aftersales division in South Africa is on hand for technical product support to assist in identifying and correcting any problems in the shortest possible time, regardless of where the customer may be situated.

A dedicated Service Operations Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa is also available, situated in Kenya, to ensure efficient communication and relationship management between the customer and GMSA.

The result of customised design, development, engineering and production done in Africa, for Africa, is thus a vehicle which has been specifically designed to be used in its various African markets with absolute confidence.

In this regard, all new Isuzu Pick-up pick-ups are available as standard with a comprehensive 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty (whichever comes first) in place for extended peace of mind for the consumer.

Volvo XC90-the world’s most powerful

Volvo Car’s all-new XC90 SUV will offer an unrivalled combination of power and efficiency when it is revealed later this year.

 The AWD seven-seater offers drivers up to 290 kW with C02 emissions of around 60 g/km (NEDC driving cycle).

The all-new Volvo XC90 is the first SUV to offer so much power with a low emissions rate.

“There are no compromises when you drive the all-new Volvo XC90,” said Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research and Development of Volvo Car Group.

“In the past you could either have power or low C02 emissions. But with the all-new Volvo XC90 you can have both.”

The all-new Volvo XC90 range offers a selection of Drive-E engine options, all of which provide an outstanding combination of performance and fuel-efficiency.

The main distinguishing feature of the Drive-E engine range is that all variants are four-cylinder engines – focus is on output and efficiency rather than number of cylinders.

“With our new Drive-E powertrains, we have created a family of intelligent petrol and diesel engines with power curves that give exciting driveability at the same time as delivering world-class fuel economy,” said Mertens.

“Even with seven people seated in the all-new Volvo XC90, the C02 emissions per person and kilometre are outstandingly low.”

The C02 performance of the all-new Volvo XC90 will reinforce Volvo Car’s leadership when it comes to bringing more environmentally-sound technologies to market.

According to figures monitored by the European Car Industry Association (ACEA), Volvo Car Group delivered an industry-leading reduction in average fleet emissions between 2012 and 2013 – an overall reduction of 8,4 percent.

Volvo has made it possible for a four-cylinder engine to provide all the driving pleasure associated with a much larger engine, whilst delivering record-breaking C02 figures.

Volvo’s ingenious Drive-E engines systematically replace all other powertrains in the Volvo range.
Volvo Cars will also debut its Twin Engine badge with the all-new Volvo XC90. ‘Twin Engine’ refers to all ‘combination’ powertrains in the Volvo stable.

In the all-new Volvo XC90, the top-of-the-range Twin Engine will carry the badge ‘T8′ and be a plug-in electric car, hybrid car and high-performance car rolled into one.

With Volvo Twin Engine, normal driving is conducted in the default hybrid mode.
This utilises a two-litre, four-cylinder supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E petrol engine that powers the front wheels while a 60 kW electric motor drives the rear wheels.

The supercharger fills in the bottom end of the power range to give the engine a big, naturally-aspirated feel, while the turbocharger kicks in when the airflow builds up. The electric motor on the rear wheels provides instant torque.

At the push of a button, however, the driver can switch to quiet and emission-free city driving on pure electric power. The pure electric range on the all-new Volvo XC90 T8 is approximately 40 kilometres, and the driver can immediately revert back to the combined capacity of the petrol engine and electric motor – with its combined output of around 290kW and 630 Nm of torque – whenever necessary.

Volvo Car’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) chassis technology also allows for far more flexibility inside the car.

Other carmakers have struggled to combine the bulk of a battery pack with a luxurious and spacious interior, something that Volvo has managed to overcome.

“Since our new SPA technology is designed from the start to accommodate electrification technologies, the Twin Engine installation does not compromise luggage or passenger space,” says Mertens.

The all-new Volvo XC90 also has full range of other engine options which includes the D5 twin turbo diesel engine with approximately 165kW, 470 Nm, and best-in-class fuel consumption of around 6l/100 km, as well as the D4 turbo diesel engine that delivers around 140kW, 400 Nm and a fuel consumption of around 5l/100 km.

The range offers two petrol engine options: the first is a T6 turbo engine with supercharger and turbo providing 235 kW and 400 Nm, and the second is a T5 that delivers approximately 187 kW and 350 Nm.

Jaguar XF design to refine drive

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a British luxury carmaker has said that its latest stylish Jaguar XF model is renowned for its performance, refined drive and effortless power.

The new car comes with  a choice of engines to suit every driver and driving style, delivering power and performance with improved fuel economy. 

Buyers of the latest Jaguar XF will benefit from integrated satellite navigation with extensive maps across 22 sub-Saharan African countries. 

 

The first-to-market benefit makes exploring Africa that much simpler and more convenient, reducing travel time, minimising distances and increasing safety.

Mr. Willem Schoeman, Public Relations and Marketing Manager, JLR Sub-Sahara Africa  said: “Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara Africa’s extended navigation represents an industry first as a factory-fitted integrated system, this is thanks to the combination of the latest generations of Tracks4Africa and Nokia HERE, seamlessly integrated via a sophisticated on-board unit using the acclaimed iGo primo platform that allows for SD card software and map updates.”

This feature, which combines two separate mapping packages offered for the first time as a single, integrated solution, will give Jaguar XF drivers an unprecedented trans-border navigation capability, allowing for safe and efficient travel across Africa.

The XF continues to offer a compelling blend of style, performance and refinement, and the changes effected from MY14.5 – as these updates are known internally – it remains a car which will appeal to those who are used to the finer things in life.

For these people, their time is one of the most important commodities and with Extended Navigation they can use time even more efficiently by getting straight to where they want to go, with minimal delay thanks to exceptional intuitiveness and usability, not to mention an impressive array of features.

This rear spoiler will be offered as an option on the 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol models, while a full aerodynamic – which adds a revised front bumper, black grille with chrome surround, body-coloured rear valance and ‘R’ Style side sills – is also available.

As far as the interiors are concerned, Premium Luxury models can be enhanced with the Sport Pack; comprising heated and cooled electrically-adjustable, with a dual-position memory for the driver) sports seats in soft grain leather, bright stainless steel pedals, and Jet Morzine treatment for the headlining and the roof pillars. 

The XF range has been the Jaguar brand’s mainstay for a number of years and with this latest round of changes will continue to do so. Extended Navigation is especially significant in the sub-Saharan markets, where it will give us a unique selling proposition.

For the urban environment, the mapping software of choice is Nokia HERE, which gives comprehensive coverage of over 100 cities in sub-Sahara Africa.

Users simply change from the rural to the urban environment at the touch of a ‘button’ on the TFT screen of their Jaguar, with features like lane guidance and historical traffic information depending on the market, enabling users to find their hotel or the airport with minimal delay and inconvenience. 

“Africa is a vast continent, and you don’t want to end up too far off track,” said Nigel Clarke, Operations Director of Jaguar Land Rover sub-Sahara Africa.

“With extended navigation the guesswork is taken out of it whether you’re in an urban or rural environment, adding yet another dimension to the Jaguar brand.”

Dynamic design

The sleek-sedan luxury car has been updated with a completely reworked front fascia with a subtly reshaped grille, revamped lower vents and newly streamlined headlights with LED daytime running lights arranged in a distinctive Jaguar 'J-Blade' signature pattern.

Around back, the tail lamps were extended onto the trunk lid, while a range of new wheel choices completed the visual changes.

The cabin is trimmed with the supple leathers and top-quality materials one would expect of a Jaguar while also featuring modern touches like the so-called ‘surprise and delight’ air-conditioning vents, which present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they rotate to the open position.

Also lying dormant until the car is switched on is the unusual rotary shifter, which motors up and can be rotated to select from park, reverse, neutral, drive, and sequential modes.

The upgraded Jaguar XF with more supportive seats, new hide and veneer choices and a revised color scheme on the centre console, fascia and steering wheel that replaces the outgoing 'Tungsten' finish with a more contemporary 'Aurora' theme.

The XF rewards drivers with accurate, tactile steering and a well-tuned suspension that provides a good balance between ride comfort and handling prowess.

Ghana to Set up a ICC Hearing Centre

Ghana must set up a Hearing Centre to enable corporate bodies use International Chamber of Commerce (ICC’s) mediation and arbitration rules in their contracts to position the country as a genuine place for arbitration. This will no doubt save cost as it follows best practice for most business in most countries. 

“The Chief Justice must help Ghana to set up a hearing center in Ghana, such that Ghanaian corporate bodies would be encourage to use the  ICC mediation and arbitration rules and clause in their contracts and also insist on Ghana as a genuine place for arbitration, helping save cost; since  currently most cases are held overseas, the state and businesses spend so much in getting their cases heard overseas,” Chairman of ICC- Ghana, Alhaji Asuma Banda told Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood in Accra.

Alhaji Banda made this recommendation when the National Committee of the ICC- Ghana paid a working visit to the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood.

The visit was aimed at informing her of some of the programmes that ICC-Ghana is working on to help train lawyers and judges in the area of dispute resolution. It was also to wish her well as she marks seven years in office.

Alhaji Banda explained that the motivation for setting up of a court of arbitration in the country came as a result of the numerous judgment debt awards being accrued by the state as a result of lack of adequate training of state attorneys and lack of information particularly in cases where Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) avenues could have been employed.

He therefore made an official request to the Chief Justice to recommend some retired Ghanaian judges and lawyers of reputable status to represent Ghana at the International Court of Arbitration, since that is one of the mandates of ICC- Ghana.

The Chief Justice said the intentions wouldn’t have come at a better time, especially with the numerous cases currently in the commercial courts which she believes are not necessary particularly with the passing of the ADR Act which encourages parties to go for arbitration.

She added that the issues has always boiled down to credibility, because this avenues are normally sought when parties are confident that the case would be handled genuinely and judgment would be fare.

“The ICC- Ghana should come out with a proposal stating the terms of reference of what ICC-Ghana wants to do.

“A committee must also be set up made up representative of ICC, the bench and the bar to ensure that training of lawyers to serve as arbitrators would be transparent,” Chief Justice Wood recommended.
Presently, Ghana has two lawyers serving at the International court of Arbitration namely lawyers Felix Ntrakwah and Ace Ankomah, of which the Chief Justice was pleased to hear, since in her view these were lawyers of high repute.

ICC- Ghana with support from the world body ICC would be running training programmes since ICC arbitration is often used by states and state entities. Approximately 10 percent of ICC arbitrations involve a state or a state entity.

ICC arbitration is chosen for disputes involving states or state entities in all parts of the world, although there is a concentration of cases from Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and West Asia, Central and Eastern Europe.
Cases among these regions account for about 80 percent of ICC arbitrations involving states and state entities which includes cases covering both commercial and investment disputes.

Claims arising out of commercial contracts constitute the largest category of cases and most frequent kinds are those relating to construction, maintenance and the operation of facilities or systems.

Ford and Heinz collaborate on Sustainable Materials for Vehicles

Ford and Heinz

Ford and H.J. Heinz Company have explored the use of tomato fibre to develop a more sustainable bioplastic material for vehicles.

Researchers at Ford and Heinz are investigating the use of tomato fibre in developing sustainable, composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing.

Specifically, dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in a Ford vehicle or the storage bin a Ford customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.

“We are exploring whether this food processing byproduct makes sense for an automotive application,” said Ellen Lee, plastics research technical specialist for Ford. “Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”

About two years ago, Ford began collaborating with Heinz, The Coca-Cola Company, Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble to accelerate development of a 100 percent plant-based plastic to be used to make everything from fabric to packaging and with a lower environmental impact than petroleum-based packaging materials currently in use.

Researchers at Heinz ,were looking for innovative ways to recycle and repurpose peels, stems and seeds from the more than two million tons of tomatoes the company uses annually to produce its best-selling product: Heinz Ketchup. Leaders at Heinz then turned to Ford.

“We are delighted that the technology has been validated,” said Vidhu Nagpal, associate director, packaging R&D for Heinz. “Although we are in the very early stages of research, and many questions remain, we are excited about the possibilities this could produce for both Heinz and Ford, and the advancement of sustainable 100% plant-based plastics.”

Ford’s commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle is part of the company’s global sustainability strategy to lessen its environmental footprint while accelerating development of fuel-efficient vehicle technology worldwide.

Ford has increased its use of recycled non-metal and bio-based materials in recent years. With cellulose fibre-reinforced console components and rice hull-filled electrical cowl brackets introduced in the last year, Ford’s bio-based portfolio now includes eight materials in production.

Other products are coconut-based composite materials, recycled cotton material for carpeting and seat fabrics, and soy foam seat cushions and head restraints.

AngloGold Ashanti Flaunts its Successes in Education

AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Community Trust Fund has commissioned some education projects at a cost of about GHC600, 000. This is in spite of the daunting challenges facing the company in recent times. 

The company says it is currently engaging with its stakeholders including the communities to garner support to give a new birth to the mine and to demonstrate that the company’s values on the community are still intact.

“We are focusing on education because it is the key to the opportunities in this tough and highly competitive world. We can improve our circumstances, uplift ourselves from poverty and become what we want to be if we take advantage of what modern education can offer us,” stated Mr. Fred Attakumah, Managing Director of Obuasi mine.

The objective of the project is not only to strengthen the social contract between AGA and its communities but to also reinforce AGA commitment to make the communities better off for AGA presence.

According to Attakumah, the commissioning of the facilities is to encourage the children who will benefit from this facility to make education a priority and take their studies seriously. “As communities, united to make significant difference in the quality of lives, it behooves on Nananom and elders, parents and teachers to be mindful of their roles and responsibilities to ensure that the children attend school well prepared, regularly and coalesce with the teachers at all times, in order to optimize the best for the children. It is also your duty to ensure the facilities are well maintained at all times.”

AngloGold Ashanti has on its own supported the development of education over the years. It has built more than 12 schools in Obuasi for the people in the communities.

 The Company is currently the main sponsors of the AngloGold Ashanti Kwame Nkrumah Lectures which is organized annually with The Institute of African Studies – University of Ghana. Among others the Company built a hostel in the late 80s for Komfo Anokye Medical School and constructed the Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
 

“With the Trust Fund, hundreds of computers have been donated to schools in the communities to improve IT skills. We have also donated 8 mini buses to several Senior High Schools in our communities to facilitate easy movement of teachers and students.”
In fulfilment of the Stability Agreement signed between the then AngloGold and the Ghana Government in May 2004, AGA set up the ‘AGA Obuasi Community Trust Fund’ in September 2011 with seed money of US$2.5M.

The objective is to strengthen the social contract between AGA and its communities and also to reinforce AGA’s commitment to make the communities better off for AGA presence.

Since the inception of the fund, 8 Toyota Hiace Mini Buses have been donated to selected public Senior High Schools and 110 desktop computers have been donated to 22 selected Junior High schools within its catchment areas in Amansie Central District, Adansi North District, Adansi South District and Obuasi Municipal.

We need precautionary measures against Ebola – Pharmaceutical Society

                                         The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) is warning Ghanaians to take precautionary measures against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak.

According to the PSGH, the intensity of the EVD outbreak is the highest that has ever been recorded in the affected areas, which includes Guinea and some parts of the West African sub-region.

President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, James Ohemeng Kyei in an interview with Citi News cautioned Ghanaians to be on guard to prevent the influx of the disease into the country through its borders.

He noted that Ebola is one of the most challenging disease the world has ever dealt with throughout the world.

“Ghanaians travel a lot to other West African countries .Once there are confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Mali then Ghana must be on high alert,” he advised.

source: citifm

World must end ‘dirty’ fuel use – UN

Scientists believe there needs to be a step change in the energy sector

A long-awaited UN report on how to curb climate change says the world must rapidly move away from carbon-intensive fuels.

There must be a “massive shift” to renewable energy, says the 33-page study released in Berlin.

It has been finalised after a week of negotiations between scientists and government officials.

Natural gas is seen as a key bridge to move energy production away from oil and coal.
But there have been battles between participants over who will pay for this energy transition.

The report is the work of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was set up to provide a clear scientific view on climate change and its impacts.

 The Summary for Policymakers on mitigation paints a picture of a world with carbon emissions rising rapidly.

“The high speed mitigation train needs to leave the station very soon, and all of global society will have to get on board,” the IPCC’s chair Rajendra Pachauri told journalists in Berlin at the launch of the report.

Dr Youba Sokono, a co-chair of the IPCC’s working group 3, which drew up the report, said science has spoken.

He added that policy makers were “the navigators, they have to make decisions, scientists are the map makers”.

The UK’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said global warming needed to be tackled using “all technologies”. He told BBC News: “We can do this, we have to because it’s so challenging and threatening to our economies and societies, our health, our food security.

The report today shows we can do it if we have the political will.”

He added that the UK government was a leader on the use of renewable energy sources, saying: “We’ve, for example, doubled the amount of renewable electricity in the last few years.

 We’re likely to do better than our targets in increasing renewable electricity. But we’ve got to do more.”

About half of all the carbon that humans have pumped into the atmosphere since 1750 has been emitted in the last 40 years.

Rates have been rising fast since 2000, despite the global economic crash.

The report points to an increased use of coal in the decade from the turn of the millennium , “reversing the longstanding trend of decarbonisation of the world’s energy supply”.

Driven by a global increase in population and economic activity, global surface temperature increases will be between 3.7C and 4.8C in 2100 if no new action is taken.

This is way above the 2 degree level, regarded as the point beyond which dangerous impacts of climate change will be felt.

However, the scientists involved in the report say this situation can be turned around.

“It needs a big change in the energy sector, that is undoubtedly true,” said Prof Jim Skea, vice-chair of working group 3.

“One of the biggest areas that’s important is getting the carbon out of electricity, so renewable energy, nuclear, fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage, that’s all part of the menu if we are going to make the transition to stay under the 2 degree target.”

It is not a simple task. To be sure of staying below 2 degrees, the amount of carbon in the air needs to be around 450 parts per million by 2100. To get there, emissions in 2050 need to be 40-70% lower than they were in 2010.

The IPCC says that renewables are a critical part of that pathway.

Since the last report in 2007, the scientists say that renewable energy has come on in leaps and bounds.
In 2012, renewables accounted for just over half of the new electricity generation added around the world.

Source: BBC

30 school girls pregnant in Dafiama-Bussie-Issa District

30 primary and Junior High School (JHS) girls in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa district in the Upper West region are currently pregnant.

The girls who are in classes ranging from Primary class five to JHS form three were impregnated just within the 2013/14 academic year alone by some unscrupulous men including teachers in the District.

It is however sad to note that all the girls have dropped out of school while the men responsible for their plight are still going about their normal duties without any punishment.

Fidelis Zumakpeh, the Dafiama-Bussie-Issa District Chief Executive (DCE) who disclosed this during the 2014 first ordinary meeting of the Assembly described the situation as unacceptable and blamed parents, teachers, pupils and the Education Directorate for not playing their roles very effectively.

He said education was the bedrock of every community and called on all actors in the education sector to make conscious effort to nib the practice in the bud before it destroyed the future of girls in the district.

“Government had done a lot for the education sector in the district by eliminating most school under trees and replacing them with descent classroom blocks as well as increasing both capitation and the number of schools under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP)”, he added.

 Mr. Zumakpeh said the Assembly was also complementing government’s effort by rehabilitating a 3-Unit classroom block at Bussie JHS, a 2-Unit day care centre at Fian and a dormitory block at the Dafiama Senior High School (SHS) with funds from the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

The DCE also commended the Member of Parliament (MP) Mr. Mathias Puozaa for providing funds for the rehabilitation of a classroom at Balenia Primary school which was burnt down by fire.

Mr. Puozaa who attended the Assembly sitting for the first time urged the Assembly to make conscious efforts to get the men responsible for the plight of the 30 girls and ensure that they face the full rigors of the law without fear or favour.

He said should the practice be allowed to continue, the future of girls in the district would be doomed, stressing therefore that the perpetrators must be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.

The MP appealed to the Assembly and the District Education Directorate to ensure that the girls were sent back to school after delivery to enable them to continue with their education.

Source: GNA

Mining industry revenue collection decline

The Ghana Revenue Authority’s collections from the mining industry declined from about US$1.5 billion in 2012 to US$1.1 billion in 2013, representing a fall of about 24 percent.

This was attributed to the depressed price of the metal had a toll on government revenue as well as the country’s balance of payment position.

Last year, the average price of gold dropped by an estimated 15 percent to US$1,411 per ounce. Although the price of gold seems to have stabilized since the begging of the year at a cumulative average of about US$1,293 per ounce, pundits expect the price of the precious metal to remain around US$1,300 per ounce in 2016.

Should this expectation happen, the consequence on the country’s economy would be dire said, Sulemanu Koney, Director of Analysis, Research & Finance at the Chamber of Mines at the fifth   mining for development forum held in Accra.

Mr. Koney who speaking under the topic Revenue Utilisation Amidst Declining Metal Prices, said government’s receipts from the mining industry, which is mainly from corporate taxes and royalties, are highly dependent on the price of gold.

He explained that the prevailing situation requires that the country optimizes the utilization of its mineral revenue in a manner that yields the best returns and impacts, both at the national and sub-national level.