Hon. Issifu Seidu is Ghana’s Minister of State in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability and the first person to hold the post. His office, established under the Office of the President, coordinates national climate action, mobilises international partnerships and climate finance, and supports Ghana’s transition to a resilient and sustainable economy. He has described climate change as a national development challenge that directly affects Ghana’s economy, infrastructure, water security, food systems and energy transition.

Seidu represented the Nalerigu/Gambaga constituency in the North East Region in Ghana’s Eighth Parliament from January 2021 to January 2025. President John Dramani Mahama appointed him to the newly created climate portfolio in January 2025, and he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for vetting on 31 January 2025, when he pledged to champion initiatives that protect vulnerable communities and sectors from the effects of climate change.

Since his appointment, his office has set up climate units across most government ministries and agencies, and Ghana has signed 10 non-binding cooperative agreements with international institutions to help mobilise climate finance. In October 2025 he was appointed to the Board of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Group (CVF-V20) at its inaugural meeting in Washington, DC. He represents Ghana, which hosts the Climate Vulnerable Forum’s global headquarters, on the Board’s Troika as one of its two immediate past presidencies.

Seidu’s priorities connect climate policy with energy and investment. Ghana aims to finance 500 megawatts of new solar capacity under its renewable energy expansion programme, and his office’s strategy prioritises scaling up renewable energy and deepening Ghana’s participation in carbon markets. He has also called for climate considerations to become a mandatory part of all public infrastructure projects, noting that climate-compliant projects can generate carbon credits and attract cheaper climate finance.