President John Dramani Mahama has called on developed countries to honour their climate-finance commitments, insisting that vulnerable economies in Africa should receive predictable grants rather than loans that could deepen their debt burdens.
Addressing world leaders at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, President Mahama described climate change as “the ultimate test of global equity.”
He noted that Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but continues to suffer some of the most severe consequences of climate change.
According to him, the continent is confronted with erratic rainfall, coastal erosion and accelerating desertification across the Sahel.
President Mahama cited Ghana’s experience on June 29, 2026, when torrential rainfall exceeding 160 millimetres was recorded across seven coastal regions within 24 hours.
He said the disaster resulted in 39 deaths, with one person still unaccounted for.
“Climate justice demands that developed nations must fulfill their long-overdue financial commitments,” he told the Assembly.
The President stressed that climate mitigation support must be operationalised through predictable, non-debt-creating grants rather than loans.
He argued that such an approach is necessary to prevent climate-vulnerable and debt-fragile countries from accumulating additional financial obligations while attempting to respond to a crisis they contributed relatively little to creating.
President Mahama’s call comes amid broader discussions at the UN on climate action, financing and the vulnerabilities of countries exposed to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
He maintained that global climate policy must therefore be guided by fairness and shared responsibility, with developed countries providing the financial support required to help vulnerable nations adapt to the changing climate.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭