Civil society organisations (CSOs) have welcomed the revocation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, describing the move as a major victory for forest protection and environmental governance in Ghana.

In a joint statement issued in Accra on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the groups expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana and Parliament for annulling the regulation, which they said had exposed forest reserves— including Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs)—to heightened risks from mining.

“We express our profound gratitude to the Government of Ghana and Parliament for the successful revocation of L.I. 2462, a regulation that exposed Ghana’s forest reserves to unfettered risks from mining,” the statement said.

The CSOs commended the Acting Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, who is also the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, for initiating the revocation process.

According to the statement, the Minister laid a new Legislative Instrument before Parliament on October 31, 2025, to annul L.I. 2462. The instrument subsequently took effect after the mandatory twenty-one (21) sitting days elapsed without objections.

“With Parliament having completed the constitutionally required 21 sitting days without any interventions, we are excited that L.I. 2462 has effectively been revoked,” the statement noted.

The organisations also acknowledged the role played by the media and public advocacy, praising citizens and groups who supported petitions and campaigns against the regulation.

Describing the repeal as one of the most significant environmental policy reversals in recent years, the CSOs said the decision demonstrates Ghana’s renewed commitment to sustainable forest management.

They argued that since its introduction in 2022, L.I. 2462 undermined sustainable forest management and conflicted with Ghana’s Forest Development Master Plan (2016–2036), which seeks to phase out mining in forest reserves by 2036.

The groups further noted that the regulation weakened Ghana’s alignment with key international environmental commitments, including the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

According to the statement, prior to 2022 only two per cent (2%) of gazetted production forest areas were opened to limited large-scale mining, while ninety-eight per cent (98%) remained protected. Under L.I. 2462, however, about eighty-nine per cent (89%) of forest reserves became exposed to mining, placing more than 50 of the country’s 288 reserves under severe pressure. Even after amendments in 2025, roughly eighty per cent (80%) of forest reserves were still considered at risk.

“Ghana’s forests protect critical sources of clean water, biodiversity, climate regulation and livelihoods,” the groups stressed.

They therefore urged the government to build on the repeal by strengthening enforcement against illegal activities, ensuring the effective implementation of the Tree for Life programme, and developing a comprehensive National Forest Protection Strategy to safeguard the country’s remaining forest resources.