The Deputy Director for Housing at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Dr. Theresa Tuffour has charged local estate developers to use environmentally friendly materials in their construction projects.

She made this call to action during the 2017 edition of the Ghana Green Building Summit held at the African Regent Hotel.

“The Ministry urges all developers and building professionals to use environmentally efficient materials to protect our environment. As professionals, we have the responsibility of ensuring a safe environment by using energy efficient materials in construction projects,” Dr. Tuffour stated.

“The practice of creating structures and using processes that are responsible and resource efficient throughout the building’s life cycle from sitting to design, construction, the building’s operation, its maintenance, renovation, as well as deconstruction, provide ways of dealing with our environment,” she advised.

She urged that human activities such as maintenance and deconstruction should not negatively affect the services of real estate developers as well as the environment. She implored real estate developers to adopt the best practices to protect the environment.

The event, which was organized by Emerald Properties, one of Ghana's renowned real estate developers, was aimed at sensitizing real estate developers on how to employ convenient and conducive ways of setting up buildings, in a bid to promote healthy living conditions.