Ghana  Joined GMI in 2010 

Methane Emissions Summary

Methane is the third most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted in Ghana. Methane accounts for approximately 13.7% of all GHG emissions in Ghana, based on 2019 data reported in Ghana’s national inventory report. In 2023, The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the majority of methane emissions in Ghana came from agriculture and waste sectors.

GHG Emissions by Gas, 2019

Source: Ghana’s Fifth National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.

Methane Emissions by Sector, 2023

Source: International Energy Agency, Methane Tracker. Accessed 1 October 2024. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/methane-tracker-data-explorer

Methane Commitments and Plans

Methane mitigation efforts in Ghana are guided by national and international commitments and plans. Ghana also engages in many international partnerships dedicated to addressing methane.

National

Ghana has a national action plan and strategies to provide support for government, non-government, and private sector climate initiatives.

• Ghana launched the Energy Transition and Investment Plan in September 2023. The plan set the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2060, and supports a reduction in methane emissions in oil and gas flaring, transportation electrification, an increase in low emissions technologies, and clean fuel sources in industrial production.
• Ghana updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2021, which identifies 47 climate actions between 2020 and 2030, including a 20% reduction in oil and gas flaring, and the construction of 3 landfills with 50% methane recovery and 200 additional biogas facilities.
• Ghana is the first country in the world to include short-lived climate pollutants in their official submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2022.
• Ghana launched its National Action Plan to Mitigate SLCPs in 2018 which identifies 16 mitigation measures across 7 sectors, with the goal of reducing methane emissions by 56%.
• The National Climate Change Policy, issued in 2013, established Ghana’s integrated response to climate change that highlights sustainable development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting the use of low-carbon energy.
• Ghana’s Climate Ambitious Report Programme, launched in 2013, established a system for monitoring and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions.
• Ghana’s Framework for International Markets and Non-market Approaches, launched in 2022 at COP27, establishes a blueprint for operationalization of the carbon market in Ghana which also aims at raising carbon finance to support its NDC and foreign direct green investment.

International

Ghana actively supports and collaborates with several international efforts to address methane challenges.

• Ghana presented the first bilaterally authorized project to be implemented under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This project focused on training rice farmers to adopt the Alternate Dry and Wet (AWD) agriculture practices. (November 2022)
• Ghana joined the European Union to launch the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) in 2021 at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26).
• In November 2020, Ghana and Switzerland signed a bilateral climate agreement that would support the adoption of low carbon technology and investment in Ghana’s national clean energy access programme (NCEP).
• Ghana is a founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and provides significant support including serving as a Co-Chair from 2016-2018, supporting sectoral hub work, and providing funds to the CCAC Trust Fund.
• Ghana is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Ghana signed the United Nations Paris Agreement in 2016.
• In 2024, Ghana and the Governments of Sweden and Singapore signed bilateral and Implementation agreements respectively to support operationalization of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreements on various projects.

Methane Actions

The following highlights actions taken in Ghana to address methane, organized by GMI sector.  

Biogas Sector 

The Renewable Energy Act created a policy and regulatory framework for the development of renewable energy in Ghana, which supported the development of wood fuel, biomass, and biofuel supply chains. (2011)

Oil and Gas Sector

• As part of Ghana’s path towards net zero emissions, the Energy Minister announced Ghana’s plan to reduce domestic oil and gas consumption by 90% by 2060. (November 2023)

Cross Sector

• The Campaign Against Methane Emissions in Ghana was launched in Accra, which aims to promote actions that reduce methane emissions from the energy, waste, and agriculture sectors. (2024)
• The Ghana Environmental Protection Agency initiated a program to develop Ghana’s National Methane Roadmap to identify sources of methane emissions in the country. (2024)
• Ghana renewed their global commitment to reducing methane emissions and announces their plan to build 16 integrated waste, recycling, and compost plants to reduce volumes of waste reaching landfill sites. (2023)
• Accra, the capital city of Ghana was the first African city to join the BreatheLife Network, a national Action Plan addressing short-lived climate pollutants. (2018)
• The Climate Change Finance Tracking Tools is a manual for coordinating and management public finance that supports climate change activities in Ghana, including an climate data hub for reporting. (2016)
• Ghana’s Climate Ambitious Report Programme established a system for monitoring and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. (2013)

Ministries and Agencies Supporting Methane Actions

Explore the following websites to learn more about the government ministries addressing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change in Ghana.

• Ghana Environmental Protection Agency
• Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation
• Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Food and Agriculture
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Energy