5th June 2026
by Peace Ahovi
WASCAL commemorated World Environment Day 2026 in a colorful and impactful manner at its headquarters in Accra, Ghana, bringing together key stakeholders across government, diplomacy, academia, development institutions, media, private sector, and youth groups to strengthen dialogue on practical climate action.
The celebration, held under the global theme “Climate Action. Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” featured a series of action-oriented activities, including high-level speeches, remarks from partner institutions, an intergenerational panel discussion, media engagement, a climate action pledge, and a symbolic tree planting ceremony.
The event officially opened with a welcome address by Prof. Emmanuel Wendsongré Ramdé, Executive Director of WASCAL, who welcomed participants and reaffirmed WASCAL’s commitment to transforming climate science into practical, scalable, and inclusive solutions through the implementation of the Climate Change Action Now (CCAN) initiative launched in 2025.
Prof. Ramdé emphasised that climate action must go beyond discussions to measurable implementation, stressing the importance of science, youth participation, diplomacy, partnerships, and community engagement in addressing growing climate challenges across Ghana and West Africa.
Participants also received remarks from Ms. Annassi Kerstin, representative of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), and the Head of Department “Energy and Hydrogen Research – Sustainable Energy Systems”, commended WASCAL for creating a platform that moves climate ambition into practical action. She highlighted Germany’s continued support for climate resilience, renewable energy, green hydrogen initiatives, climate awareness, and youth innovation across the region, especially the CCAN initiative. She declared that discussions on the proposed support were ongoing.
“We are pleased. I just got feedback yesterday that we can support CCAN itself, discussing some numbers, but we will work on that,.
Representing Ghana’s Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Mr. Moses Ayamba, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, delivered remarks reaffirming the importance of collaboration and national commitment toward addressing climate challenges.
A major highlight of the event was the keynote presentation by Nana Sean Yaw Adjei Sikapa Agyeman, who delivered a thought-provoking address on bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. He challenged stakeholders to strengthen partnerships between researchers, policymakers, communities, and the private sector to ensure climate research translates into practical solutions that improve livelihoods and build resilience.
The programme further featured remarks from partner institutions, reinforcing collective responsibility and partnership in climate action.
An engaging panel discussion on the theme “From Global Commitments to Practical Implementation – Youth, Science and Diplomacy for Climate Action” brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss practical pathways for implementing climate commitments through science, youth leadership, diplomacy, innovation, communication, and policy engagement. The session also featured remarks from the WASCAL CCAN Executive, represented by Dr. Daniel Ofori, WASCAL Senior Finance Manager, who highlighted progress and opportunities within the initiative, especially CCAN towards 2030, and WASCAL’s readiness to move beyond the sub-region to partner with funding institutions across the globe in combating climate change and improving livelihoods.
As a demonstration of collective commitment to environmental sustainability, participants joined a symbolic tree-planting exercise and a climate action pledge, reaffirming their commitment to advancing climate resilience and sustainable development.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Seyni Salack, acting Director of Research at the WASCAL Competence Centre in Ouagadougou, who encouraged continued collaboration and sustained action to build climate-resilient societies across West Africa.
Through this year’s celebration, WASCAL once again demonstrated its leadership in convening inclusive, solution-oriented dialogue that advances climate science, partnerships, youth engagement, and practical climate implementation across the region.
