The Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment Science Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Cynthia Asare Bediako, has defended the number of registered Ghanaians participating in the ongoing Conference of Parties (COP 27) in Egypt.

The number of participants at the ongoing climate conference got social media users and Ghanaians talking with some alleging 270 of the participants were sponsored by the government.

But defending the numbers, Madam Asare Bediako explained that “the Ministry of Environment is responsible for registering all those who are interested in the COP.”

“So far, we have registered close to about 350 people, but this is not to say that all these 350 people are government delegates and sponsored by the government, rather, they come from various backgrounds, and sponsorships also come from various agencies including the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change], CVF [Climate Vulnerable Forum], the Global Climate Fund, UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] and sometimes the World Bank that supports some of these institutions and delegates to participate in COP,” she explained.

She added that though the government hasn’t sponsored the numbers Ghanaians are criticizing them for, it is difficult to put a figure to the exact number at the moment because the conference is still ongoing.

“Government participation is very minimal, but I cannot put my finger on the number [of participants] as of now because it is not over, and we cannot be sure who has been sponsored by Government as of now, but I know there are a number of funding agencies and these agencies also sponsors Government agencies to participate.”

The president of Ghana, President Akufo-Addo in his speech at the conference, described “climate change as a global emergency, and added that  “Ghana calls on all Parties to act with equity and a sense of responsibility.”