The Social Entrepreneurship Hub (SE-Hub), A Rocha Ghana and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ghana, in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have organised a seminar to educate businesses in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly on the need to adopt sustainable approaches to doing business.
The entrepreneurs were introduced to the expected compliance requirements when doing business in Ghana with sustainability in mind. Thus, the theme for the workshop is ‘Doing Business in a Sustainable Way is the New Normal’.
When it comes to doing business and the environment in Ghana, the EPA is one of the mandated institutions responsible for ensuring compliance and enforcing regulatory standards. That is why we partnered with them to introduce businesses in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metro to sustainable environmental standards and practices as required by the state.
Furthermore, it was identified that most businesses in Sekondi-Takoradi needed capacity building regarding sustainable environmental practices and compliance with existing environmental standards. So, the EPA trained the representatives of the businesses present on how to conduct environmental assessments to enhance compliance. They were also introduced to the tools they could use to initiate internal protocols and develop strategies to effectively assess their dependencies and impacts, leading to the building of a solid internal environmental standard compliance regime.
The stakeholders who support the enforcement of EPA requirements were also engaged on how to implement measures for proper implementation and monitoring. Presenters at the seminar took turns to encourage businesses on the need to be sustainable.
Miss Mina Pokuaa Agyemang, Corporate Engagement Officer of A Rocha Ghana, steered the affairs of the seminar.
Mrs. Saadia Bobtoya Owusu-Amofah, Project Coordinator, IUCN Ghana Project Office, in her opening remarks, talked about the work of IUCN as championing nature conservation and sustainable development throughout the world in the last seven years. This engagement is part of their campaign to orient businesses about the need to protect their environment in the cause of doing business in collaboration with their partners, she said.
The Deputy Regional Director of the EPA, Mr. Kwadwo Opoku Mensah, led the presentation at the seminar. He made the businesses aware of the expectations, and the assistance that are offered by the EPA to enhance their business activities. He admonished the businesses to pay particular attention to the regulation to deter them from disrupting their activities.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, Mr. Abdul Karim Hudu, also spoke to the participants about the services that they offer and where to find them. When businesses are able to liaise with the metro assembly, they will be in a position to support them, he said. In their monitoring role, they partner with other state institutions to achieve environmental targets and enforce the law as well. They indicated that all their activities aim to create a good environment for businesses to operate in.
The Western Regional Manager for the Association of Ghana Industries, Mr Albert Ababio, also oriented the businesses about the need to be more sustainable, and the financial benefits that the business stand to gain. He encouraged the participants to pay particular attention to the environment they operate in and manage their operations to fulfil the expectations of the EPA and the other regulatory bodies.
The host organisation, Social Entrepreneurship Hub (SE-Hub)’s Director of Administration and Projects, Mr. James Arthur Amoah, reiterated the commitment of the SE-Hub to promoting sustainable practices among the business community in the Western Region. The SE-Hub is a non-profit organisation that provides entrepreneurs in Ghana’s formal and informal sectors with the necessary skills to compete locally and internationally, using sustainable approaches and effectuation logic. They also promote green and sustainable entrepreneurship in Ghana. He said that the seminar forms part of the Se-Hubs strategic partnership with institutions to promote sustainable entrepreneurship.
