The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has committed to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure a reduction in carbon emissions from industries within the country.
This effort, according to the AGI, is essential in response to the global imperative to mitigate the harmful effects of carbon emissions on the environment.
To this end, the AGI is actively encouraging its members to embrace renewable energy sources as a cleaner and more efficient energy solution for their operations, aiming to minimise their environmental impact.
The AGI has highlighted the growing significance of clean energy options like solar, biomass, and wind, which are increasingly gaining attention worldwide due to their capacity to provide sustainable energy while being environmentally friendly and cost-effective in the long term.
During a training programme centred on diminishing greenhouse gas emissions for chemical industries in Accra, Seth Twum Akwaboah, the CEO of AGI, underlined that the association is proactively guiding industries towards adopting renewable energy sources. This approach not only aids in lowering production costs but also contributes to safeguarding the environment.
“We think the environment is key to the survival of businesses and human beings and so over the years, we have been implementing a lot of programmes that support the environment,” he added.
The training
From August 21 to 23, 2023, a three-day capacity-building programme was conducted with the aim of empowering businesses in Ghana’s chemical sector to diminish their carbon emissions.
This training initiative is structured to bolster the sustainability endeavours of participating companies by equipping them with actionable insights, tools, and methodologies to effectively identify and curtail their carbon footprint.
The program catered to 40 participants representing 22 companies, including notable names such as FC Cosmetics, Benso Oil Palm Plantation, Polytank Ghana, and Tobinco Pharmaceutical Limited (TPL), among others.
The initiative falls within the framework of the Climate Action Programme for the Chemical Industry (CAPCI), a collaborative effort implemented in Ghana by the German Development Agency (GIZ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the Association of Ghana Industries.
AGI’s commitment
Mr. Akwaboah conveyed AGI’s dedication to establishing robust collaborations with pertinent stakeholders to assist enterprises within Ghana’s chemical sectors in curtailing carbon emissions.
He emphasized the importance of industries giving due attention to matters concerning sustainable development.
“We need to brace ourselves to understand the challenges and opportunities to be able to take advantage and comply with sustainable development because it may have an effect on our businesses,” he said.
Toward that, he said the association had established an energy centre dubbed AGI-Energy Service Centre to educate members on energy efficiency and renewables.
He said the adoption of renewable energy in the country is still low and for that reason, measures need to be put in place to increase the usage.
The CEO commended GIZ for its continued support for the AGI in the area of sustainable development.
Strengthening capacities
The Technical Advisor in-charge of CAPCI at GIZ, George Johnson, stated that CAPCI aims to strengthen the capacities of key actors for effective climate protection in the chemical industry, thereby enabling them to tap GHG mitigation potentials in chemical production and use, as well as in associated value chains.
“CAPCI is closely linked with the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3), and is implemented in cooperation with the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and the capacity-building network of the United Nations Climate Secretariat,” he said.
He also indicated that Ghana was one of three focus countries of the global CAPCI project, together with Argentina and Thailand.
He said CAPCI in Ghana was being implemented by the GIZ’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Cluster as implementing partner.
“The project was aimed at enabling key actors in selected developing countries and emerging economies to identify and tap mitigation potentials in chemical production, use and associated value chains,” the advisor added.