SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been advised to look beyond short-term survival and take advantage of opportunities in the growing green economy.
Founder of innovation and digital transformation at Thenovus Solutions, Joseph Hammond, said the global business landscape is shifting towards sustainable products and services, with significant funding now being channelled into climate-friendly ventures.
“There is a lot of money being pumped into this green economy, but the youth and SMEs here are not really concentrating on that space,” he said.
In an interview with Graphic Business, Mr Hammond revealed that it is an initiative that started in Europe and has expanded to parts of Africa and New York.
The climate coffee platform connects entrepreneurs, investors and innovators to practical climate solutions.
He disclosed that the Accra meeting explored how technology could address challenges such as waste management, eco-friendly packaging and detecting false environmental claims.
Mr Hammond noted that many products marketed as eco-friendly often contain harmful chemicals.
“You see some products labelled as eco-friendly, but when you check carefully, they are mixed with a lot of chemicals,” he said.
Local solutions
Participants in the coffee meeting discussed turning waste into useful products such as organic fertiliser, which they argued could address environmental challenges while creating jobs.
Mr Hammond said the aim was to build solutions that work for Ghana and Africa while contributing to global sustainability goals.
“We believe in the power to transform businesses and our communities, and that is the main focus,” he said.
The forum also considered how persons with disabilities could be included in climate-driven enterprises such as recycling and fertiliser production.
“It appears most often persons with disability are not involved, but they can contribute and benefit from this space,” he stated.
Regulations
They further called for stronger government regulation and accountability in the green economy to curb greenwashing and ensure genuine opportunities.
“Most of these things come back to regulation. Are we monitoring them or are we checking properly so that it will not cause any problems for us?” he said.
He added that Ghana could learn from countries such as Japan, where electronic waste is recycled into valuable products, creating industries and jobs.
Mr Hammond said his team plans to scale up awareness of climate business opportunities and engage more SMEs across Ghana.
He emphasised that education and mindset change were critical if local enterprises were to benefit from the financial and environmental gains of the green economy.
“The first step is to change the mindset of our people. Once that happens, we can push climate-friendly projects into the system,” he said.
