The National Climate Change Policy is to provide direction to stakeholders and coordinate all climate change interventions and activities in Ghana. Its ultimate goal is to ensure a climate resilient and climate compatible economy while achieving sustainable development through equitable low carbon economic growth for Ghana, on the path to attaining the status of a full fledged middle-income country. The objectives of the policy are effective adaptation and social development and mitigation, while the thematic areas upon which they are premised are: energy and infrastructure, natural resources management, agriculture and food security, and disaster preparedness and response.

The NAP details 8 courses of action to combat illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Ghana. They are: all state responsibilities, flag state responsibilities, coastal state measures, port state measures, market-related measures, research, regional fisheries management organizations, and special requirements of developing countries.

The policy serves to address land issues contributing to the degrading and drying up of rivers and streams. It hopes to tackle challenges with preservation and conservation of Ghana’s water resources. The buffer policy harmonises all disjointed regulations in the country in relation to buffers bordering water bodies or river systems.

The law establishes the Veterinary Council of Ghana, responsible for the management of veterinary practices and practitioners with regard to maintenance of high standards of veterinary practices in the country.

The Act establishes the Atomic Energy Commission and defines its functions and powers.The Commission shall, among other things, advise the Government on questions relating to nuclear energy, science and technology and make proposals to the Government for legislation in the field of nuclear radiation and radioactive waste management.

The strategy is in fulfilment of the obligations of Ghana on the sustainable usage of its biological resources, as signed and ratified at the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992. To check the rapid deforestation in the country due to agricultural expansion, mining, timber extraction, and other socio-economic activities, the strategy pushes for: “capacity building to ensure an in-depth assessment of biological resources, promotion of community participation in sustainable management of biodiversity, and the strengthening of the management of forests and protected areas”.

The act establishes the Ghana Meteorological Agency with its powers and responsibilities. It is charged with advising the government on meteorological issues, issuing weather reports and forecasts, approving the establishment of a meteorological station, advising the country on weather situations, and providing consultancy services, among other key functions.

The act contains provisions and guidelines for effective regulation of towns, dispute management, and promotion of public health. It confers on the Minister, the power to define the boundaries of a town, and the powers to suspend the usage of the act wholly or partially in a town.

The regulations contained border around registration, licensing, opeartional requirements, export price, quality control, penalties, and appeal procedures. The regulations are in relation to the external marketing of cocoa.

The act amends the Millennium Development Authority Act of 2006 to make further provisions for the implementation of the terms of the compact.

The National Youth Policy is themed “towards an empowered youth, impacting positively on national development”. The policy recognises the importance of youth as a valuable human resource that needs to be harnessed by the government and other stakeholders for national development. The core principles of the policy are: patriotism, self-reliance, honesty and integrity, participation, equity, access, leadership, good governance, gender mainstreaming, respect, and coordination and collaboration. Areas such as agriculture, ICT, science, research and technology, and entrepreneurial development among others are prioritised.

The vision of the Government of Ghana regarding the water sector is for “all people living in Ghana have access to adequate, safe, affordable and reliable water service, practice safe sanitation and hygiene and that water resources are sustainably managed”. The IWRM plan is to serve as a framework (institutional, legal) for the implementation of the policy goals and objectives contained in the National Water Policy.

The act provides for protection against forms of unfair competition. The act details and addresses infringements relating to: causing confusion with respect to another person’s enterprise or its activities, damaging another person’s goodwill or reputation, misleading the general public, discrediting another person’s enterprise, and unfair competition in respect of secret information, national and international obligations.

The decree harmonises all scattered laws related to conveyancing of modifications to enhance simplicity in transactions related to land (buying, selling,leasing), with the ultimate aim of facilitating cheap, modern, reliable, and speedy processes.

The act provides for the registration of locality marks, and felling of trees for export. It clearly states that “a person shall not cut or fell a growing tree for export in log form or for conversion in a mill unless that person has first registered a property mark at the office of the Executive Director, Forests Division of the Forestry Commission, endorsed for the locality in which that person proposes to cut or fell”.

To further drive the health sector towards attainment of the MDGs, the Medium-Term Development Plan identifies key priorities of the government with regards to accelerating program implementation towards attaining equitable universal health coverage. Its objectives include improved effectiveness and efficiency of the health system, pro-poor sustainable financing towards bridging healthcare and nutritional services gap, improved health services (including unhindered access) for maternals, neonatals, children, and adolescents, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and improvement of institutional care for mental health issues.

The act provides for the establishment and specification of functions of the Energy Commission. The commission has a broad objective of regulating and managing energy resource utilisation in Ghana. Among others, its other specific functions include: policy recommendation, indigenous energy resources development, advisory services to the minister in charge, sole charge of licensing for energy transmission and distribution, and establishment of standards of performance for the energy sector.

This Act provides rules for shipping and related matters such as survey, registration, licensing and marking of ships, mortgages on ships, maritime liens and claims, ship records, prevention from collisions and maritime security, construction and importation of ships, carriage of dangerous goods, liability and divisions of liability and protection of the marine environment.

The Act addresses health issues relating to: the protection of public health in Ghana, environmental sanitation, provisions on diseases of a communicable nature, food vending and food-borne diseases. The act also contains prohibitions to noxious or offensive practices that may cause damage to the lands, crops, cattle, or goods of the public or water pollution.

The objective of the National Environmental Policy is sustainable development, aimed at ensuring citizens’ quality of life and their living and working environments, equal access to land and other natural resources, more efficient use of social, cultural and natural resources, public participation and environmental governance. Among others, it also tackles sustainable use of the land in an agricultural economy in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable manner.