A coalition of leading Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has formally commended the Government of Ghana and Parliament for revoking the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, a regulation that permitted mining activities within the nation’s protected forest reserves.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, 18th December 2025, the coalition highlighted that the repeal represents a critical step toward safeguarding Ghana’s forest ecosystems, including ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas that had become vulnerable to mining under the now-defunct instrument.
The revocation was finalized through parliamentary action on October 31, 2025, following a motion by the Acting Minister for Environment, Science, and Resources and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
Originally introduced in 2022, L.I. 2462 had drawn sustained criticism from environmental advocates and policy analysts, who argued that it substantially weakened forest governance frameworks and contradicted longstanding national forest protection policies.
The coalition underscored the scale of the shift by noting that, prior to 2022, only about two percent of gazetted production forest areas were legally accessible for mining, with 98 percent firmly protected.
The instrument had effectively reversed this protective balance.
In its statement, the coalition declared, “The repeal of L.I. 2462 represents one of the most significant legislative reversals in Ghana’s recent environmental history.”
Looking ahead, the CSOs called for continued legal and policy reforms to secure lasting protection.
Among their key recommendations is a review of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) to explicitly prohibit mining in all forest reserves and to enshrine environmentally responsible mining practices in national law.
The coalition’s statement reinforces broad public and expert consensus that sustainable development must prioritize the conservation of Ghana’s natural heritage for future generations.
