Mercy Owusu Ansah is a forester, and an inclusive governance advocate experienced in community engagement in climate change and biodiversity conservation. Mercy was the assistant international project coordinator of the EU project that developed and secured alternatives for illegal chain sawing in Ghana and Guyana. She was a chief manageress at RMSC, FC and is now the director of Tropenbos Ghana. She is a member of the NRWG, REDD+ safeguard WG, chairs the CFI monitoring taskforce, and supported the revision of Ghana’s NDCs, safeguarding local communities, smallholder farmers, and women’s livelihoods in the VPA and REDD+ processes. She led Tropenbos team to establish HIA governance structures and developed Ghana’s environmental and social safeguards.