Ghana Embraces Clean Production
The Ghana Cleaner Production Centre has been opened in Tema to ensure that companies operating in the country embrace processes that would protect the environment through the efficient use of resources.
The Centre, established with internally generated funds of the Environmental Protection Agency with support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization http://www.google.com.gh/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=UNIDO&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFgQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUnited_Nations_Industrial_Development_Organization&ei=AnwdT8adLYjChAeG5uDYDA&usg=AFQjCNFf9OSBkicoW6uNecBlzXvTTkB3pw&cad=rja , is to provide clean production solutions to the industrial sector.
The socio-economic development of Ghana, like many other African countries, has led to continuous degradation of the environmental ranging from widespread land degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, decline in soil productivity, depletion of fresh water resources and deteriorating air quality.
Industrial development in Ghana has contributed to a large extent to the degradation of the environment as in most instances trees are cut to make way for the construction of buildings that serve as factories and offices.
In many instances, some of these companies pollute water resources by discharging untreated effluent into river bodies and also pollute the air or soil as a result of their operation.
These negative developments impact the environment and human lives negatively.
Daniel S. Amlalo, Acting Executive Director of the Environmental protection Agency, speaking at a ceremony to cut the tape to officially open the centre, noted that the negative impact associated with their activities have wider implications on food security, sustainable natural resource management and human health as well as mitigate efforts towards poverty eradication.
He noted that at the time of the country's industrial development, discharge of untreated effluent was predominant as it was assumed the assimilative capacities of water bodies, wetlands and the marine and coastal ecosystem could not be exceeded.
'However, time has proven that ecosystems have finite capacities and therefore require prudent and cleaner production approaches,' said the EPA boss.
The establishment of the Cleaner Production Centre, he said 'comes handy to complement the education component of EPA'
He noted that the centre, among other things, would be used to build capacity of the private sector and also facilitate the development of specific solution programmes and centres geared towards addressing resource needs.
Companies that have been rated poorly in the annual EPA Akoben environmental performance ratings would have to enroll to improve their environmental assessment.
Being the first in West Africa Center, it is expected to enroll representatives of companies at a fee who would be taken through innovations of how to minimize waste by embracing the culture of reusing and recycling which would lower their cost of operation.
Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, who supports clean production, said it would in addition to maximizing the profits of companies increase satisfaction amongst the growing environmentally conscious consumers.
She was of the view that every effort must be made to green the supply and production chain in order to protect the environment and save human lives.
She recommended that 'companies must make it a policy to recover and utilize their own waste generated in their production and processes,' while her ministry works on a recycling and reuse information policy and the implementation of the waste stock exchange management information system.
Lambert Faabeluon, Head of Manufacturing Industries Department of the EPA noted that the center would provide services to companies including large and small and medium-scale enterprises in meeting national environmental legislation.
'We would offer affordable and solution oriented services to ensure that companies protect the environment and make efficient use of resources.'
Davidson Akwada, a Health Safety Environmental Coordinator at Textile Ghana Limited, whose company has benefited from the cleaner production initiative in Ghana, said 'We used to utilize a lot of water in our operations as we used it once and then we discharged it.'
He revealed that previously his outfit used to spend over GH¢30,000 on water every month but now records an insignificant saving of GH¢6000, representing 30 per cent savings on monies paid to the Ghana Water Company.
'Through this project I am helping to manage the world's scare resources, mitigating the situation of water shortage and promoting public health.'
By Emelia Ennin Abbey