The Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr. Eugene Owusu, has called on businesses to as a matter of urgency augment responsible business practices due to closeness of the timeline for SDGs.
According to him, businesses must begin to accelerate and scale up their investments in SDGs-inspired impact initiatives to boost the country’s prospects of achieving the goals by 2030.
“To achieve the world that we want, we need to rethink how our economies and businesses are structured. We need to make responsible business practices the core of our business models, and not just a ‘nice to have’. Responsible business also means being sustainable, and this makes responsible businesses so central to achieving the SDGs. We are at the mid-point of the SDGs timeframe, with barely 8 years to the 2030 end-date,” he stated.
Dr. Owusu was speaking at the maiden edition of the Responsible Business and Leadership Excellence Awards (RBLEA) 2021, which came off at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, and indicated that achieving the SDGs presents the country with a whole lot of opportunities for businesses to thrive – stating that it has the potential of not only generating peace and shared prosperity but business around it is remarkable, estimated at some US$12trillion in value.
The RBLEA, organised by ION Africa Business, is an empowerment-driven initiative that seeks to distinguish and uphold the achievements of inspiring corporate front-runners with responsible values. It also aims at defining and celebrating vision, achievement and excellence in Ghana’s business leadership, and championing the implementation of sound business governance and systems while identifying and preventing practices that hinder social development.
Explaining further the benefits of achieving SDGs, Dr. Owusu stated that another significant thing about achieving them is the provision of common ground for both government and businesses to find solutions for the pressing development challenges the country is facing.
He continued by advising that businesses must operate differently, including fundamental changes in the ways by which essential goods and services such as energy, food, water, and housing are produced, distributed and consumed to achieve the gains.
He urged businesses to leverage new technologies to produce smartly and efficiently, while protecting the environment. He commended the organiser of the awards, saying: “This is why I truly appreciate and passionately commend this awards ceremony and the Responsible Business and Leadership Excellence Awards Team behind this initiative”.
Award winners
Responsible Electronics Retail Company, The Makers Electronics Company; Responsible Manufacturing Company (Metal/Steel), B5 Plus; Responsible and Innovative Waste Management Company, Accra Compost & Recycling Plant; Responsible Indigenous Manufacturing Company, JRA Cosmetics; Responsible Automobile Company, Zonda Tec; Responsible Printing Company, Jay Kay Industries & Investment; Responsible Hospitality Company (Hotel), Accra City Hotel; and Responsible Manufacturing Company (Beverages), Charger Ltd.
Responsible Government Regulator, Ghana Shippers’ Authority; Responsible Insurance Company, Ghana Union Assurance; Responsible Health and Wellbeing Company, Holy Trinity Medical Centre; Responsible Interior Firm, Jamila Homes; Responsible Waste Recovery Company, Accra Compost & Recycling Plant; Responsible Hospitality Company (Restaurant), Azmera Restaurant; Responsible SDG Pioneer, Baraka Impact Ghana; Responsible Security Company, DFI Company; Responsible Media Organisation, Angel Broadcasting Network; and Responsible HSE Consulting Company, JIK Management Consultancy Services.
Responsible Healthcare Facility/Service Provider, Lister Hospital & Fertility Centre; Responsible Real Estate/Construction Company, Mayfair Estates; Responsible Educational Institute, Young Executives School; Business Transformation Company, Jay Kay Industries & Investment; Responsible Company in Customer Service Excellence, Zonda Tec; Responsible Mining Support Services Company, B5 Plus; Responsible Emerging Electronics Brand of the Year 2021, The Makers Electronics Company; and Responsible Employer, Angel Group.
Special recognition awards
Rising Star of the Year, Daniel Ayikwei (President & CEO, DFI Group); Responsible and Inspiring Automotive Woman, Yang Yang (CEO-Zonda Tec); Industry Impact Award (Insurance), Aretha Duku (Managing Director, Ghana Union Assurance Co. Ltd.); Social Impact Leadership Excellence Award, Dr. Kwaku Bediako (Founder/Group Executive Chairman-CH Group); Manufacturing Standard Achievement Award, Mukesh V. Thakwani (CEO-B5 Plus Group); and Indigenous Female Business Leader, Jane Reason Akushika Ahadzie (CEO-JRA Cosmetics Ltd.).
Industry Impact Award (Waste Recovery), Michael Padi Tuwor (Managing Director-Accra Compost & Recycling Plant); Industry Leadership Excellence Award (Lifestyle), Hajia Jamila Seeta (CEO-Jamila Homes); Industry Personality (Education), Francis Essel-Okyeahene (Founder/CEO, Young Executive School); Outstanding Contribution to Industry Development Award, Benonita Bismarck (CEO-Ghana Shippers Authority); Real Estate Most Enterprising CEO, Dr. John Otumfuor Watson (CEO/Founder-Mayfair Estates Ltd.); and Business Leader, Dr. Emmanuel Bortey Borketey (CEO-Charger Ltd.).
