The University of Ghana’s main campus hosted the inaugural iteration of the Youth Climate Action Fund II (YCAF II) campaign, “Bike Your Trotro,” which brought together 59 cyclists for a fun fair with the goal of encouraging young people to ride their bikes as a sustainable form of transportation.
The occasion, organized on Friday by the youth organization Healthy Alliance, was a component of Accra’s climate-related initiatives under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
Speaking on behalf of Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the mayor of Accra, Mr. Kwame Frimpong emphasized the significance of advancing environmental efforts.
Cycling should be seen as a vital climate action instrument for lowering carbon emissions as well as an exercise activity, he added, noting that the project had the full support of the mayor’s office.
In order to increase safety and promote bicycle use as a mode of transportation, the AMA’s infrastructure plans will be examined, according to the Executive Secretary to the Mayor.
According to Mr. Frimpong, the lack of bike lanes frequently causes bikers to merge with large vehicles, posing a safety risk.
He restated the Assembly’s willingness to back similar youth-led environmental initiatives and the Mayor’s goal to reduce carbon waste.
The Youth Climate Action Fund, Phase II Project Lead and Assistant Director at the AMA, Mr. Ben-Smith Afful, spoke at the occasion and thanked the University of Ghana for its participation in the program as well as the turnout.
He emphasized the competitive nature of the project selection process, which involved open requests for applications that were assessed by an impartial panel prior to being sent to the US donors.
The move was part of Accra’s commitment to the C40 Cities, a global network of almost 100 mayors of the world’s largest cities who are united in action to combat the climate catastrophe, Mr. Franklin Nyarko Addo, an assistant director with the AMA’s Public Affairs Unit, emphasized.
He stated that the primary goal of “Bike Your Trotro” was to increase public awareness of cycling as a useful, low-emission mode of transportation that may lessen the carbon imprint of the city.
He exhorted people to utilize social media to spread messages about climate action and to embrace climate-friendly behaviors like planting trees and separating rubbish.
In order to encourage more young people to join the campaign, he urged them to tag the American Medical Association, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other partner organizations in their posts.
The mayor of Accra was also praised by Mr. Addo for his dedication to providing proactive leadership in advancing environmental projects around the city.
Source: newsthemegh.com