The Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) has announced a coalition to support its campaign against single-use plastics (SUPs) in Ghana.
The announcement follows the recent historic resolution endorsed by Heads of State, Ministers of environment and other representatives from 175 nations at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya, to address plastic pollution through a legally binding agreement by 2024.
The organization launched the campaign in early 2021, calling for the Government of Ghana to ban SUPs, and invest in research aimed at developing locally available sustainable alternatives.
Speaking about the objective for forming a coalition, the National Coordinator of GYEM, Richard Pomeyie indicated that the Coalition for the Ban of SUPs consists of individuals and organizations that share a common vision of using a legislation to address the impacts of pollution caused by single-use plastics.
He added that coalition members will advocate for investment into research of sustainable alternatives, promote existing environmentally friendly materials and sensitize the public on effective plastic waste management.
According to an online petition on the campaign, Ghana generates about 3000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, with about 90% of them imported into our economy.
However, less than 5% of the more than a million tonnes of plastics the country generates annually are collected for recycling. It is believed that a greater proportion of these plastics are single use.
These include plastic shopping bags; straws and stirrers; food wrappers and packaging materials, including Styrofoam and plastic take out containers; beverage and water bottles; coffee cups; cutlery; and cotton buds.
There is evidence that SUPs leak into both marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, causing grave injuries and health risks to both biodiversity and humans. They have also been blamed for chocking drains and gutters, thereby increasing the risk of flooding and the spread of various diseases in communities.
About GYEM
Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) is a leading national youth-led environmental group in Ghana, with a vision to bring together and empower young people to work towards a sustainable environment and address the nature and climate crises through advocacy campaigns and community-based activities.
The organization which was founded in 2012 by a group of young Ghanaian activists, was registered legally as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in 2014.
Membership of the Movement is opened to youth between the ages of 15-35 years. By 2020, the organization had a registered membership of over 500 members across the 16 regions of Ghana. GYEM is run by a Management Team that is supported by a nationally representative Steering Group and advised by a 7-member board of advisors.
The Movement staged its first direct action campaign in 2012 during the launch of Ghana’s National Environmental Policy, where it called for effective implementation of the policy by state actors.
Between 2014 and 2019, GYEM convened Power Shift, the largest youth-led environment and climate summit in Ghana to discuss pressing issues related to waste management, sanitation, plastic pollution, climate change and renewable energy. The organization played an important role in the campaign against the introduction of coal-fired power plants into Ghana, leading the 3-year anti-coal campaign with significant success in 2016.
GYEM is currently part of plaintiffs consisting of group of civil society and non-governmental organizations, climate change activists and individuals who have dragged the Government of Ghana to court for prospecting bauxite in the Atewa Range Forest.
