Press release

Ghanaian mining law scrapped in major victory for forest campaigners

10th December 2025 

The Ghanaian government revoked a contentious mining law today, giving in to almost three years of sustained pressure from the country’s thriving environmental movement.  

Previous regulations capped mining activities at a maximum of 2% of the forest estate, but the new law - L.I 2462 - removed these protections, allowing the President to approve mining in ecologically sensitive areas if deemed “in the national interest.” 

A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) including A Rocha Ghana and Nature & Development Foundation (NDF) raised the alarm in early 2023 turning the little-known regulation into a national outcry. They documented licenses issued in more than a dozen forest reserves, led street protests in Accra, petitioned the Presidency and Parliament and - ultimately - took the matter to court.  

By October 2025, the demands became unavoidable and the government finally tabled the Revocation Instrument - a decisive step to restore the full ban on mining in forest reserves.  

Daryl Bosu, Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, said:  

“This is a crucial victory for Ghana’s forests. Yet even now, as we celebrate, forests continue to be destroyed by artisanal mining, illegal farming, and logging activities with no effective action in sight. To secure this win, we must urgently halt illegal activities, grow back our forests, and in the long term, develop and implement a progressive national forest protection program, while upgrading the Forestry Commission to effectively deal with these new age threats.” 

Mustapha Seidu, Director of Nature & Development Foundation (NDF), said: 

“Sustained advocacy achieves results and, in that pursuit, collective voices of different groupings matter. At NDF, we are not just happy for being part of the story, but we are glad that we took the first steps in bringing to public attention the infamous law. We are also happy that civil society acted in unison and in the long run, government responded.” 

While challenges remain, especially around existing mining leases, illegal mining and enforcement issues, the revocation is a crucial step toward rebuilding public trust and re-establishing environmental safeguards. This follows another recent win for Ghana’s forest civil society: in October 2025, the first permits of the country’s pioneering sustainable timber licensing scheme (FLEGT) arrived in the EU, following a 16-year collaborative process. 

Dennis Martey of TaylorCrabbe Initiatives said: 

“The revocation of L.I. 2462 has ignited a profound sense of national relief and optimism across Ghana, reflecting a collective triumph for environmental stewardship and the rule of law.

For Ghana's forests, it signifies a vital restoration of protections, safeguarding biodiversity, water resources, and community livelihoods against the irreversible damage of mining activities.” 

This achievement underscores the critical importance of civil society uniting to hold government accountable, as demonstrated by the coordinated efforts of CSOs, legal advocates, and citizens in challenging unchecked policies.

Moving forward, robust enforcement mechanisms must replace L.I. 2462, including stricter oversight by the Forestry Commission and comprehensive consultations with stakeholders to prevent future encroachments. 

ClientEarth has been working alongside CSOs in Ghana since 2013, providing legal support and training to local organisations and communities as the country reforms its forest laws. 

Stephanie Ngo Pouhe, ClientEarth’s Law and Policy Advisor said: 

“Today’s news is a welcome step forward in Ghana’s commitment to protecting its incredible forest preserves from the devastating impacts of mining.  

This victory shows what can be achieved with persistent, well-coordinated environmental activism. The Ghanaian public have fought tirelessly to uphold the rule of law, and won.”  

ENDS 

Notes to editors:
  • Enacted without adequate consultation with relevant stakeholders, including local communities, and civil society, the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation (L.I 2462) significantly undermined the objectives of the 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy and disregards previously established agreements and guidelines designed to protect Ghana's forest reserves. 
  • Previously, regulations had capped mining activities at a maximum of 2% of the forest estate, empowered the Forest Commission to deny entry permits and limit mining exclusively to production forest reserves, and maintained a strict prohibition against mining in non-production reserves. L.I 2462 removed these protections, allowing the President to approve mining projects in ecologically sensitive areas if deemed "in the national interest."
  • Throughout this journey, CSOs have received technical support from the legal environmental NGO ClientEarth and their Ghanaian partners TaylorCrabbe Initiative (TCI) in shaping public awareness, strengthening the legal basis for reform, and sustaining pressure for accountability. ClientEarth and TCI produced a series of four legal briefs in 2024 examining Ghana’s mining regulatory framework.
  • The most influential - “Briefing 4: Mining in Forest Reserves – Spotlight on L.I. 2462” - analysed why the instrument contradicted Ghanaian law, created governance risks, and needed to be repealed. These publications became essential reference points for CSOs, journalists, policymakers, and legal advocates working to challenge L.I. 2462.
  • TCI funded and supported a major press conference by the CSO Coalition Against Small-Scale Mining in March 2025.
  • The coalition raised the alarm about the dangers L.I. 2462 posed to protected forests, failures in mining law enforcement, and the urgent need for revocation.
  • ClientEarth and TCI also supported A Rocha Ghana and partners in public sensitization efforts, including street marches and media engagement campaigns.
  • This outreach broadened public awareness of the risks of L.I. 2462 and empowered citizens to demand stronger forest protections from political leaders ahead of the 2024 elections and beyond. 
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