Ghanaians Urged to Protect Environment

The Director of Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Levina Owusu, has urged the public to help protect the environment from degradation and deforestation.

She encouraged individuals involved in the cutting of trees to do well to replant for restoration.

Speaking at the Green Business Forum organised by the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and SNV Ghana on Friday, she said “issues of the environment should be everyone’s business because these issues affect us all. If our environment is impoverished, we will all be impoverished”.

The discussions at the forum focused on the importance for businesses to adopt principles and practices that protect the environment and lives.

It strongly suggested the need for businesses to increase efficiency in their production processes, minimize waste and strengthen their infrastructure to reduce environmental impacts whiles providing environmental goods and services.

Dr. Eric Twum, a Policy Fellow for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at UNU-INRA, on his part said doing business in an environmentally friendly manner, will help promote responsible production, address climate change effects and generate wealth for inclusive growth.

He stressed that such practices are essential for enterprises to be considered green businesses.

Panellists at the forum acknowledged the contributions of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) towards economic growth and recognised the need for comprehensive policies to help mainstream the activities of these enterprises in Ghana.

One of the panellists, Mr Papa Bartels, Team Leader of Industrial Sub-Contract and Partnership Exchange at the Ministry of Trade and Industry indicated that about 90% of businesses in Ghana are small to medium size enterprises and policies targeting SMEs will help build their capacities and minimize environmental challenges that confront the sector.

He added that the Government of Ghana is in the process of developing a policy on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to regulate and sanitise the sector.

Similarly, in addressing a question on the challenges that small businesses face in getting financial assistance for their activities, Mr Ebenezer Arthur, the Chief Executive Officer of Wangara Capital stressed on the need for SMEs to ensure that they have competitive and go-to-market services / products, competent teams and should operate in a more transparent and accountable manner, so as to attract funding.

He observed that “money goes to where there are opportunities and there is the need for agro-businesses and other small green enterprises to present their businesses in ways that attract investors”.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum/ thePublisher