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Paper short abstract

This paper employs a mixed-methods approach to examine the transformative potential of climate just responses in Ghana. It aims to draw on these sources of knowledge to assess gaps and opportunities for enhancing and strengthening climate justice responses in Ghana.

Paper long abstract

As the saying goes, ‘[s]he who plays the piper calls the tune’. In Ghana, climate justice approaches have been, and continue to be, largely shaped by top-down approaches- government and international development partners-led through funding and policy frameworks. Through policy and programming interventions, these global partners support national and community organizations in centering vulnerable groups in climate change responses, including education and risk-response measures. However, evidence indicates persistent gaps in the implementation of just and equitable climate responses. There are gaps in knowledge about climate change, in attention to the intersectional dimensions of climate change risks, and in the representation of vulnerable voices in decision-making, among other areas. While situating Ghana’s climate response within global development discourses and support may be helpful, we argue that overreliance on international framings of climate justice and sources of support creates a dependent environment that limits recognitional and procedural justice. Using data from national climate justice policies and programs, NGO activities focused on climate justice, and individual interviews with residents of selected communities in Ghana, we show how climate injustice is embedded in skewed national responses that center on certain aspects of climate change at the expense of others. We argue that, for Ghana to achieve transformative climate justice, it will require local piper players- national bodies and community organizations to contextualize knowledge and support shaping their interventions. Moreover, there is a need for inclusive, intersectional capacity-building to equip these local pipers and the community to adopt a holistic lens on policymaking and programing.