Ghana Energy Transition Consortium Briefs Top Editors at COP30 on Just Transition Advocacy

 

At COP30, strategic media outreach effort by the Ghana Energy Transition Consortium (GETC) aimed to ensure Ghana’s energy transition narrative was framed by the nation’s leading editors and journalists. 

Mr. Dennis Ato Keelson, a Communications and Programmes Officer for Wacam, a member of the GETC, undertook a vital side mission: to personally educate the cadre of Ghanaian editors and senior journalists covering the summit about the Consortium’s work and its importance for the nation’s future.

Leveraging his dual expertise as a programmes officer and a journalist, Mr. Keelson engaged with over twenty (20) senior media practitioners from leading outlets including the Daily Graphic , Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Peace FM, Metro TV, Businessweekghana.com, Ghanaian RADAR newspaper & online, Original FM & TV, UTV and Channel One TV. 

These interactions, held from on the sidelines of the global conference, served as an impromptu but strategic briefing room, ensuring that the complexities of Ghana’s energy transition were understood and communicated accurately to the public.

“The media is the critical link between policy, civil society work, and the Ghanaian people,” said Mr. Keelson. 

“At a global event like COP30, where the discussions are often technical, it was essential to connect with our editors and senior journalists directly. My goal was to ensure they saw GETC not as just another acronym, but as a active, collaborative force of Ghanaian CSOs working to hold the government accountable for a fair and transparent shift to clean energy.”

The briefings covered the core mandate of the GETC: its role as a unified civil society platform advocating for a just transition, its focus on ensuring community interests are not sidelined, and its mission to promote progressive implementation of national plans. 

Mr. Keelson also distributed copies of the GETC First Quarter Newsletter 2025, providing journalists with a tangible resource detailing the Consortium’s recent analyses and activities.

This proactive media engagement was seen as a strategic investment in shaping informed public discourse. 

Many of the journalists briefed were responsible for deciding which stories from the summit made headlines in Ghana. 

By equipping them with context and direct access to a local consortium’s perspective, Keelson aimed to enrich the quality of climate reporting moving from Belém back to Ghanaian airwaves and newspapers.

“Understanding the ‘who’ and ‘why’ behind the advocacy is key for us,” noted a senior editor from one of the participating media houses. 

“Engagements like these with Dennis help move our coverage beyond just reporting statements, to analyzing the actors and accountability mechanisms within Ghana’s own climate journey. It adds necessary depth.”

This initiative underscores the GETC’s commitment to its goal of being a strong, visible force in Ghana’s energy dialogue. Educating the media is a foundational step in building the public awareness and understanding required to drive meaningful accountability and progressive action on the country’s energy transition ambitions.

About the Ghana Energy Transition Consortium (GETC)

The Ghana Energy Transition Consortium is a collaborative initiative of NGOs working on energy transition issues in Ghana. Launched in July 2024 and convened by SSNET with fiscal hosting by SYND, the GETC aims to position itself as a strong CSO force that holds the government accountable and challenges it toward more progressive implementation of Ghana's energy transition plan.