Ghana’s Climate Resilience Efforts Strong on Policy but Weak on Finance

Ghana has been ranked among Africa’s stronger performers in the latest Resilient Economies Index by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA). The report, which assesses countries on their ability to build economies that can withstand climate shocks, highlights Ghana’s progress in planning and policy but notes a funding gap that could slow implementation.

Ghana’s Performance at a Glance

Ghana achieved an overall rating of “Robust”, with scores of “Pioneering” for its economy: “Robust” for policy, and “Consolidating” for finance. In simple terms, this means Ghana is performing well in setting the right goals and integrating climate adaptation into national development, but still faces serious financial constraints in executing those plans.

The “Pioneering” ranking for Ghana’s economy signals that the country is ahead of most African nations in embedding climate resilience within its broader economic strategy. This reflects deliberate government efforts to integrate adaptation priorities in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure to protect livelihoods and sustain growth in the face of rising climate threats.

Ghana’s “Robust” policy score reinforces this commitment. Over the past decade, the country has developed a range of policies and plans from renewable energy strategies to national adaptation frameworks that demonstrate clear intent and institutional readiness to address climate challenges.

However, the “Consolidating” score in the finance pillar tells a different story. While Ghana has made efforts to strengthen climate financing systems, funding remains a major challenge. With high debt levels and limited fiscal space, the country struggles to raise or attract the funds needed to bring its policies to life.

How Ghana Compares with the Rest of Africa

Ghana’s performance stands out positively in the West African sub-region. Countries such as Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire were ranked lower, with overall scores showing slower progress in mainstreaming adaptation efforts. Ghana’s balance of strong policy and emerging financial systems puts it ahead of many of its neighbors in terms of readiness and resilience.

However, some East African nations like Kenya and Uganda lead the continent, earning “Pioneering” scores across all pillars, that’s economy, policy, and finance. This places them a step ahead of Ghana in terms of both ambition and financial execution.

Countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Malawi also performed well, with “Pioneering” or “Robust” scores in multiple categories, showing consistent progress in integrating adaptation within their national planning.
At the lower end of the scale are countries like Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Djibouti, which remain at the “Foundational” stage, still building the basic frameworks for climate resilience. This wide gap in performance reflects the uneven pace of adaptation progress across Africa.

The Ambition-Action Gap

While the Index highlights Ghana’s solid policy and institutional foundations, it also points to a widening “ambition-action gap” across the continent. Many African countries, Ghana included, have made significant strides in policy design but lack the financial capacity to put those ideas into motion.

The GCA report stresses that policy progress is outpacing finance, with limited domestic resources and restricted access to global climate funds creating bottlenecks. For Ghana, this means that even though the country has the plans and the frameworks, implementation risks stalling without sufficient funding.

A Path Forward

Ghana’s resilience journey mirrors Africa’s larger challenge—having the vision to adapt but struggling with the means to act. The country’s “Pioneering” economic and “Robust” policy performance show that it has laid a strong foundation.

However, translating ambition into tangible action will depend on expanding access to climate finance, improving coordination among institutions, and ensuring that resources are directed toward community-level adaptation.

The Resilient Economies Index makes one message clear: Africa’s climate fight is not about lack of ideas, but lack of funding. Ghana’s experience captures this reality perfectly, a nation with strong intent and policy readiness, now in need of the financial muscle to bring its resilience goals to life.

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