The Ghana Green Awards and Expo, an initiative to acknowledge and celebrate individuals and institutions whose efforts promote environmental sustainability, has been launched in Accra.

It is made up of a competitive category, which has 11 award areas, and a non-competitive category which is targeted at rewarding individuals and organisations who have played advocacy roles in promoting the green initiative.

The maiden award, which is scheduled for August 26, 2016, will be on the theme: “A Green Ghana evolution – a must for every Ghanaian.”

The initiative is under the auspices of 11 stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ghana Energy Commission (GEC), the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF).

All must play a role

At the launch of the initiative, the Deputy Minister of MESTI, Dr Alfred Sugri Tia, underscored the need for the public to avoid activities that endangered the sustainability of the environment.

He lauded the theme chosen for the maiden awards and said green practices were critical to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Dr Tia said it was important for all stakeholders and the public to adopt environmentally friendly practices to mitigate the vulnerabilities associated with climate change.

“Climate change has become an issue of global concern. If nothing is done about it, our food, our environment and other sources of livelihood will be seriously affected,” he added.

He stated that there was a direct correlation between environmental protection and economic growth, which provided an anchor for the growth of businesses.

“In Ghana, tons of waste material and carbon emissions are produced daily. These can be transformed into renewable energy and biomas. We must try to tap all of our potential and apply cutting-edge innovations to turn the waste into useful products,” urged.

Go green

The President General of Royal Ladies Ministry International, Rev. Mrs Rita Korankye Ankrah, who is also a patron of Green Ghana Awards initiative, urged individuals and organisations to apply environmental conservation methods in the areas of renewable energy production and agricultural biodiversity.

She said the awards scheme was timely as it would spur on individuals and organisations to adopt innovative strategies to remain competitive.
Other key personalities who are patrons of the award scheme include Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General; Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Omanhen of the Essikado Traditional Area; Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the Group Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, and Mr Kweku Awortwi, Founder of African Precious Minerals Limited,

The rest are Mrs Betty Djokoto, the Headmistress of Wesley Girls High School, and Prof. T.A Coleman, the Managing Director of Global Renewable Energy.