The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has launched the National Climate and Environmental Communication Initiative (NCECI) towards the transformation of how climate and environmental issues are communicated in the country.
It is an initiative which seeks to build a network of skilled journalists, communicators, and corporate actors capable of delivering clear, relatable, and impactful messages that drive environmental awareness and climate action.
Launched in collaboration with Knutsford University, the NCECI will bridge the gap between climate science, policy, and public understanding, ensuring that every Ghanaian can access and act on credible environmental information.
Speaking at the launch in Accra on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Officer of the EPA, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, said the NCECI marked a “bold and strategic national effort” to transform environmental communication and to empower journalists and communicators to play a central role in the country’s climate response.
According to her, while the country continues to experience the harsh effects of climate change, such as rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, coastal erosion, and loss of biodiversity, public engagement and understanding remain limited.
“Too often, climate information stays confined to technical reports and policy circles. The science is right, the science is strong, but the message does not always reach the people who need it most — that is the farmers, fishermen, youth, business leaders, and citizens whose choices shape our collective future,” she noted.
The NCECI, she said, seeks to close this communication gap by equipping journalists and communicators with the skills to translate complex environmental data into simple, compelling narratives that resonate with all Ghanaians.
Prof. Klutse underscored that the initiative would also promote effective Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting among corporate bodies to foster transparency and accountability, and would support youth engagement through the Action for Climate Empowerment framework.
The CEO emphasised that effective communication was as crucial to climate action as science and policy.
“Science provides the evidence, policy provides the direction, but communication provides the connection. When communication fails, even the best climate strategy loses momentum, but when communication succeeds, it inspires action from the classroom to parliament,” she said.
She explained that as Ghana prepares for COP30 in Brazil next month, the initiative positions the country to communicate its climate efforts more effectively, demonstrating progress on its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), just transition strategies, and climate empowerment goals.
“This initiative ensures that Ghana’s voice is clear, unified and grounded in public understanding and participation. A well-informed nation is a stronger negotiating nation,” she added.
The Pro-Chancellor of Knutsford University, Bishop John Kwamena Essel, expressed the school’s pride in supporting the NCECI, describing it as a timely national effort to strengthen Ghana’s response to environmental challenges.
He said the university viewed the partnership as an opportunity to demonstrate that private institutions could significantly contribute to national development through education and collaboration.
“As an educational institution, sustainability and environmental protection are issues close to our hearts. For years, we have provided free training for journalists in leadership, management and communication because we believe that journalists have the power to shape development. If they inform the public rightly, we will get everything right,” he stated.
He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to ensuring that the NCECI becomes a success and that its impact is felt across the country.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
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