IFC and Rehoboth Properties have announced the first affordable housing project in Ghana to achieve IFC’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) green building certification, helping Accra reduce greenhouse gas emissions while conserving energy and water usage.
Rehoboth’s 1,700-unit Knightsbridge community in the suburb of Kwabenya features efficient lighting, natural ventilation, low-flow faucets, and dual-flush toilets, among other energy efficient technologies, reducing electricity and water use by a third for residents.
Adding to its green credentials, the Knightsbridge community was built from materials that require 50 percent less energy to manufacture, transport, and install compared to materials used in other buildings in Accra. A second IFC EDGE-certified development, the 1,400-unit Palms community in Accra, is expected to open in late 2022.
“Rehoboth is proud to offer Ghanaians, for the first time, a triple-edged chance to save: save on purchase price, save on utilities, and save the Earth, leading to a significantly lower total cost of ownership over a lifetime and beyond,” said Gideon Akrofi, Rehoboth’s CEO.
“The first EDGE certification of an affordable housing project in Ghana demonstrates IFC’s commitment to supporting a greener, more inclusive post-pandemic economic recovery. Green buildings will help Ghana transition to a lower-carbon future as specified in the country’s commitments under the Paris climate change agreement,” said Ronke Ogunsulire, IFC Country Manager for Ghana.
IFC’s EDGE program was launched in 2014 to support the construction of green buildings and help fight climate change. The program is active in 170 countries.
In Ghana, EDGE has certified 12 large buildings since 2017 in the health, hospitality, retail, and financial sectors, and is encouraging developers to adopt green building techniques.
