The Partner Afrika-Projekt is within the framework of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation between Unternehmer Baden-Württemberg (UBW), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The project aims to enable KNUST, AGI, and local partners to offer innovative services to their members (with a focus on sustainable production and digitalization), creating jobs and income in the industrial sector, particularly with SMEs, and bridging the gap between industry and academia.
The forum on sustainability dubbed Kick-Off Conference in Accra was organized by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in partnership with Unternehmer Baden-Württemberg (UBW) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to promote the culture of sustainability in the production processes of enterprises.
The Principal Investigator, Partner Afrika Projekt KNUST, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo mentioned that since June 2021, the PartnerAfrika-Projekt KNUST project team has taken significant steps with the project partners; Arqum and AGI to ensure Economic Sustainability in the Ghanaian Industry. He said the key objectives of the project are to strengthen the organizational structure and to improve the service offer of AGI, to develop and implement further training and consultation services on sustainable and cleaner production, and to develop practical pilot projects in companies to implement good practices. He mentioned that the AGI environmental sustainability cluster is a result of the establishment of environmental clusters as part of the project structure. “It is expected to have about 20 companies as members of the environmental cluster”, he revealed.
In his progress report, he stated that the 2022 summer internship program with preparation certification has begun. He said 420 students applied for the internship program and 120 students were shortlisted. He mentioned that 4 weeks of robust training sessions were held for the selected applicants and 86 students took the certification examination with 58 students passing with a minimum score of 50%.
“12 weeks internship program with AGI companies has commenced and students will be assessed on industry projects undertaken, and technical and soft skills acquired”, he stated.
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) is developing a policy document to help accelerate the country’s transition to a circular economy. This circular economy roadmap and action plan are expected to be completed by the end of 2022 to serve as a pathway to a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and competitive economy based on the principles and practices of circularity. When completed, the document also seeks to assess industry by sectors to establish targets based on several factors including economic contributions, the potential for job creation, and environmental and social impact.
The document is being developed with support from the European Union (EU) and other stakeholders such as the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.
The Special Advisor at MESTI, Oliver Boachie stated that rapid population growth, urbanization with its related lifestyle changes and Ghana’s push for industrialization were all contributing to unprecedented growth in waste generation.
“Depletion of raw material in Ghana has more than doubled between 1990 and 2017 and in the process volumes of unnecessary waste end up being generated. This is projected to double by 2060 if the country continues with business as usual,” he stressed.
He said the government sees the trend as a major threat and has found an urgent need for fast and sustainable interventions by a transition to a circular economy.
“As part of efforts to achieve a successful circular economic transition, the government is developing the circular economy roadmap and action plan and also undertaking a project to establish the circular economy framework for plastics in the country,” he stated.
He added that his outfit will be focusing on several key components such as policy reforms, standard regulations, and enforcement as well as education and awareness creation.
“The framework also has a component under which small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the plastic value chain are being supported financially with technical assistance to build their capacities and to enable them to scale up their operations,” he intimated.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AGI, Seth Twum-Akwaboah, urged businesses to take issues of the environment seriously. He mentioned that AGI has a number of initiatives that lead to the promotion of the environment.
The Project Manager of Arqum, Philip Poferl, said the world currently faces environmental problems that lead to climate change and its related impact.
“If we are not able to tackle it at the global level, we will not be able to solve them at all,” he added.
