The Blame in the Air: Why Accountability Matters for Clean Air

Who’s responsible for cleaning Ghana’s air — the Ministry of Transport, the Energy Commission, the EPA, or your local assembly?Trick question. It’s all of them — and that’s exactly the problem.In this episode of Clean Air Report Ghana, host Michael Asharley explores why Ghana’s air pollution crisis remains unresolved despite decades of monitoring and dozens of overlapping mandates. With more than 30,000 air pollution-related deaths every year, experts say the country’s fragmented approach is costing lives.Michael speaks with Desmond Appiah, Ghana Lead at the Clean Air Fund, who argues that Ghana urgently needs a single, consolidated national clean air policy to bring clarity and accountability. Selina Amoah, Director of the Air Quality Unit at the EPA, reflects on Parliament’s new Air Quality Management Regulation and what it could mean in practice. And Jacob Attakpah of Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) makes the case for youth action and zero waste solutions at the community level.From government offices to grassroots campaigns, this episode unpacks the one question that could define Ghana’s clean air future: who is really in charge of the air we breathe?Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting.