40 Years of Environmental Protection in Ghana: What is in the EPC/EPA Emblem?

The task of designing an emblem is a major step that any organisation should undertake to promote public recognition because an emblem carries so much significance that the task of designing and owning one becomes that much more important.

Since the 15th century, the terms of emblem (emblema; from Greek embossed ornament) and emblematura did belong to the field of architecture.

However, in this era, emblems are used by organisations, agencies and commercial enterprises to build a brand and leave a mark on public consciousness.

Although, words emblem, logo and symbol are often used interchangeably, an emblem is a pattern that is used to represent an idea or an individual. 

They are also non-verbal gestures that have well-understood definitions within a given culture, and they usually have direct verbal translations. This means, however, that certain non-verbal gestures that mean one translation in one culture could be the complete opposite within another. 

Furthermore, this may not be the case with every emblem because there are some that remain consistent cross-culturally. These could include shoulder shrugs (don’t know/care), ok sign, headshake (saying no), or head nod (confirmation, or yes). 

Emblems are extremely important within societies as it does not only promote recognition of an entity but allows for quick communication between people, and can also help when in a new culture. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emblem, like the agency it represents, has for the past 40 years become a symbol of environmental protection, enforcement and compliance, awareness creation and education, setting guidelines and standards, justice and conservation across Ghana and around the world. But what is the origin of the EPC/EPA emblem? Where did it come from and what does it mean?

The story of the EPC/EPA official emblem/logo started with the symbol created by a student of College of Art, University of Science and Technology, (UST) Kumasi, Edwin V. Bonsra, and his colleagues in response to a request for an emblem to be designed for the Environmental Protection Council (EPC).

Among the various designs that came out, the earth showing all the elements of the planet with a softening touch of the hand as a cradle was retained as the official emblem.

As Bonsra will later mention, his creativity, especially the hand, was inspired by Genesis Chapter 2:15 in the Old Testament of the Bible, “cultivate and keep it” and, Chapter 1:28 “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” 

The Bible continues that: “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”

What can we say of this generation?  In this modern era, the task of “cultivate and keep”; and  “ have dominion, multiply, subdue and replenish” has been interpreted by man to mean indiscriminate disposal of waste and dumping of garbage that emits foul smell around Pantang and Oblogo and its environs; deafening noise from nightclubs, cassette vendors and religious activities across the country; illegal mining (galamsey), discharge of various chemical and biological wastes in water bodies of rivers and seas, unplanned settlements such as Agblobloshie, and indiscriminate and wanton destruction of our forests.

The first Executive Chairman of the Council, Professor E. A. Boateng, submitted a proposal at the 19th Regular Meeting of the Council on March 22, 1978 which suggested that the EPC was then five years old and it did not have an emblem of its own. Around that period, he had made a trip to the College of Arts, UST, Kumasi, and saw the emblems that the department had worked on for other institutions and organisations. EPC soon after, charged the department to design one for it.

In a letter dated April 24, 1978, to Mr Akpo Teye, the then Head of College of Arts, Professor Boateng, stated that: “One of the major problems facing many countries today is the over-exploitation and abuse of natural resources- animate as well as inanimate- and the dangers which this poses to the entire terrestrial environment as a supportive basis for the human life, but in Ghana and many other developing countries the basic problem is poor sanitation and its associated environmental diseases (malaria, cholera, dysentery etc).” 

He emphasised, “We want Ghanaians to become aware of these problems and to recognise that they have a role to play in finding solutions to them.”  

At the 22nd Regular Meeting of the Council on 31st September 1978, a number of specimens of the EPC emblem produced by the Department of Design and Graphic Art, UST, were displayed for members’ consideration. After careful consideration, three of the specimens were selected for further elaboration and completion. 

The present distinctive emblem of the EPA was approved by the 23rd Regular Meeting of the Council on November 16, 1978, and in early 1979, it was produced on all documents for official use. 

It was also decided that the sum of 1,000 cedis (now 10 Ghana cedis) should be paid to the Department of Design and Graphic Art, UST, in appreciation of the very impressive work done by the students of the department. It was concluded that part of the money was to go to the student with the winning design while the rest could go to the others who took part in the competition.

The selected specimen was sent to the Government Printer, Survey Department, to reproduce (preferably in colour) the emblem selected by the council members. The emblem was to be produced to a vertical size of one inch but only in black and white. 

The Survey Department, however, felt able to reproduce the emblem in the exact colours presented, although, their machines had broken down and they had to resort to a number of makeshift arrangements to do the production. Eventually, the council arranged for them to use the photographic equipment of the Lands Department. The specimen was reproduced separately on two stencils according to the colours.

The design adopted by the EPC may be described as follows in a letter to the school of Arts by Professor Boateng: “The emblem should be simple in design and conveying the message that the environment is all-embracing with interdependent parts covering the land, water bodies, plants, animals and the atmosphere, with man at the centre of it all.”

The writer is the Chief Programme Officer in charge of Public Affairs and Gender and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency: angelina.mensah@epa.gov.gh