Ghana: Union plants 15,000 tree seedlings for a green future

The Timber and Woodworkers’ Union of Ghana (TWU) on 10 June joined their government’s initiative to plant 15,000 tree seedlings as part of an annual campaign to save forests that have been depleted by climate change and illegal mining.

Under the Green Ghana Initiative, the union planted the tree seedlings in its afforestation reserve at kokoago Wenchi in the Bono East Region.

TWU Chairperson Georgina Smedley and General Secretary Mark Asante Ofori commended their members for joining the said initiative. They noted that interest in tree planting must be developed towards securing tree crops and wood resources for both domestic and industrial needs.

“Our coming together today to participate in this exercise is a clear indication of our collective willingness and determination to tackle the climate change issues confronting us," Smedley said.

“As a union, we are determined to exceed our set target of planting some thousand 15,000 tree seedlings  in our reserve. Admittedly, this can only be achieved with the collective participation and support of all of us, » said Ofori, who is also an FSC social Chamber Board Member. 

Ofori added that the contribution of trade unions in the Green Ghana Initiative will help secure jobs in the wood and forestry sector for the future generation. 

“Our collective responsibility to sustainably manage the environment for both current and future generations should not be put in doubt at any time,” he said.

The United Nations said that Ghana has one of the highest losses of rainforest in the world, with its forest cover only a fifth of what it was a century ago.

According to the forestry commission, between 2019 and 2021, the West African country lost over 300 square kilometers of primary forest, forcing timber processors in the country to import trees from neighboring countries.