At a ministerial meeting in Antigua and Barbuda on Monday, November 2, 2026, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa urged the international community to adopt safeguards that would protect jobs, energy security and economic stability as countries move toward cleaner energy.
Speaking at the Admiral Ballroom of Sandals Grande Antigua Hotel, Mr Ablakwa emphasized that the transition must reflect each country’s economic realities and development priorities rather than follow a uniform timetable. He highlighted Ghana’s petroleum sector’s role in government revenue, foreign‑exchange earnings, electricity generation and liquefied petroleum gas supplies, arguing that any shift must not compromise affordability, livelihoods or national development.
Mr Ablakwa called for dedicated financing arrangements—grants, concessional loans, technology transfer and technical assistance—to support developing countries. He stressed the need to protect workers and communities likely to be affected by changes in the energy sector while affirming each nation’s sovereignty to determine its own energy policies.
The meeting, which brought together ministers and senior officials to examine the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty, also featured calls from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago for international support and reforms to the global financial architecture to mobilise resources for energy transition, climate adaptation and resilience. A proposed Transition Financing Facility would provide grants, concessional financing and explore debt restructuring, disaster‑related debt suspension, debt‑for‑climate swaps and investment guarantees.
Diplomatic discussions will continue toward securing a negotiating mandate for the treaty, with the next Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels scheduled for Tuvalu in July 2027. The inaugural conference was held in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April 2026.
