Ghana adopts roadmap to reduce building emissions

The country has taken significant steps towards a sustainable future by adopting a new roadmap meant to drastically reduce building emissions.

To be known as "Transforming the built environment through sustainable materials," the project seeks to decarbonise entire buildings and the construction sector by 2050.

Led by the Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH), in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the initiative will promote the adoption of low-carbon construction materials.

Examples of low-carbon construction materials are bamboo and recycled materials such as plastics and glass.

With this, Ghana is poised to become a model for environmentally conscious development in the West African sub-region.

Project launch

Launching the project in Accra last Thursday, the Deputy Minister of Work and Housing, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, said the roadmap sought to reduce emissions throughout the entire construction value chain to advance the shared sustainable goals.

He said the project, initiated in November 2023, would transform the built environment through a sustainable materials programme, a bold effort to address the environmental impact of the built environment in the country.

"Today, as we launch the roadmap derived from this initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to building sustainable, resilient and healthy communities.

"As we all know, urbanisation and globalisation have significantly influenced discussions on human settlement and development worldwide and Ghana is no exception'" he said.

With an urban population of around 58 per cent, he said the demand for construction materials was gradually becoming difficult to accommodate the rapidly growing society, especially in the cities.

Global energy emission

The deputy minister said a report by the United Nations Environment Programme showed that the building industry accounted for over a third of global energy-related carbon emissions.

He said the industry was also responsible for 40 per cent of global energy consumption, 30 per cent of raw material extraction, 12 per cent of global water consumption and 20 per cent of waste generation.

“These statistics highlight the urgent need for us to mitigate the environmental impact of the construction industry.

“The roadmap we present today analyses strategic actions aimed at minimising the environmental footprint of the built environment through sustainable practices and materials,” he said.

Blueprint

Dr Armah stated that the roadmap was not just a mere document but a blueprint for meaningful changes.

“It sets clear goals and identifies priority areas for interventions with demonstration projects that signal our commitment to embedding sustainability into every phase of the body's life cycle, from design through construction to maintenance, the time to act is now,” the deputy minister added.

Commitment

The Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat, Joshua Maviti, said Ghana was committed to supporting member states to develop sustainable towns and cities that could help reduce emissions.

He said the roadmap would be given priority in the Ghana Housing Property project which would soon be launched.

Strong collaboration

The Hub Director in charge of the Multi-Country Office of UNOPS, Ifeoma Charles, called for collaboration from all relevant agencies for efficient implementation of the newly developed roadmap.

“There was the need to collaborate with our sister agencies to ensure that the right materials are used to help lower building emissions across the construction value chain.

“Today’s occasion must reflect our shared commitment towards building a sustainable future for generations yet to be born,” she added.

Efficient implementation

To ensure efficient operationalisation, a director at the MWH, Bernard Ayensu, stated that a technical working group would be formulated to coordinate and track progress in the uptake of the recommendation in the roadmap at the national level.

He added that the ministry had commenced preparations to mainstream the roadmap in the 2026-2029 national medium-term development policy framework.