Government Revokes L.I. 2462, Civil Society Hails Move as Major Win for Forest Protection
Civil society organisations and environmental advocates have commended the Government of Ghana and Parliament for the successful revocation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, describing the decision as a significant step toward safeguarding the country’s forest reserves from mining-related destruction.
The repeal follows sustained public advocacy and legislative action led by the Acting Minister for Environment, Science and Technology and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who on October 31, 2025, laid a new Legislative Instrument before Parliament to annul the controversial regulation. After the constitutionally required 21 sitting days elapsed without objection, L.I. 2462 was officially revoked.
Environmental groups say the move has given Ghana’s forests a renewed chance for recovery, particularly areas classified as Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas, which had faced increased risk under the regulation. They also lauded the media and the wider public for amplifying the call for repeal, noting that petitions and sustained advocacy played a critical role in influencing the outcome.
Introduced in 2022, L.I. 2462 had been criticised for undermining sustainable forest management policies and contradicting the Forest Development Master Plan (2016–2036), which seeks to phase out mining in forest reserves by 2036. Critics further argued that the regulation weakened Ghana’s commitments under international environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Data cited by civil society groups indicate that before 2022, only about two per cent of gazetted production forest areas were accessible to mining, with the remaining 98 per cent fully protected. Under L.I. 2462, however, nearly 89 per cent of forest reserves were exposed to mining activities, placing more than 50 of the country’s 288 forest reserves under serious threat. Even after amendments in 2025, about 80 per cent of forests were still considered at risk.
While welcoming the repeal, environmental advocates caution that Ghana’s forests remain under pressure from illegal mining, logging and poaching. They are calling on government to build on the repeal by reviewing existing laws to explicitly ban mining in forest reserves and by developing a comprehensive National Forest Protection Strategy.
The groups have also urged authorities to strengthen the implementation of the “Tree for Life” programme and to restore degraded lands, particularly areas damaged by mining activities outside forest reserves. Additionally, they are calling for the swift implementation of recommendations issued by the Forestry Commission on December 15, 2025, including measures to enhance the institution’s capacity to confront emerging threats.
According to the advocates, the revocation of L.I. 2462 represents a turning point in Ghana’s environmental governance, but they stress that sustained action will be required to ensure the country’s forests are not only protected in law but restored for the benefit of present and future generations
