Green Building Research Conference ends in Accra; Stakeholders champion green initiatives

Researchers, academicians, politicians and industrial professionals from across Africa have converged on the Noguchi Conference Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, for the 2nd edition of the Green Building Research Conference.

The two-day conference, organised by the Applied Research Conference in Africa (ARCA), is meant to provide opportunities for participants to exchange new ideas and apply experiences face-to-face to establish business and research relations as well as finding partners for future collaborations.

It is also aimed at mobilising support for the roll-out of Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Human Settlements (STI4SHS) roadmap and advancing an African green building and development agenda.

Conference

Opening the conference last Thursday, the Chairman of ARCA Scientific Committee, Ghana, Prof. Joseph Nnamdi Mojeku, said the conference had become imperative in view of the devastating effects of climate change and global warming all over the world. 

He added that the roles of science, technology and innovation in ushering in new green initiatives and sustainable human settlements were crucial and  in tandem with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“I am proud to announce that this conference is being conducted along with the cooperation of Nelson Mandela University, CSIR South Africa, National Building Regulatory as well as South Africa and Ghana Green Building Council, which have been in the forefront of the struggle to advance an African Green Building Development.”

Prof. Mojeku, who is also a lecturer of Social Statistics at the University of Lagos, explained further that green building was energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible, saying such buildings were designed and constructed in line with green principles with a view to reducing or eliminating the adverse impacts on the occupants and the environment.

“It is my hope and belief that the communique arising from this conference will bring to the fore solutions on how to advance an African green building initiative and development agenda in the areas of green buildings and environment as well as habitable human settlement in both the rural and urban communities in Africa,” Prof. Mojeku said.

Government vision

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, said it was the vision of the government that implementation efforts geared towards national aspirations were driven by Science, Technology and Innovation.

The minister added that Science, Technology and Innovation had been placed at the centre of the country’s industrialisation agenda and had become the fulcrum around which national development revolved.

“Indeed, the President believes that this should be the vision for the entire continent of Africa,” the statement read further.

Enhancing research

The minister also acknowledged the discussions on supporting and enhancing research commercialisation, publications, patents, technology transfer, ownership, reaching markets, industry-science-academia collaboration and the sense of excellence in science.

“The good news is that our institutions have taken bold steps to step up efforts in these areas and I am challenging academia, research, technology and industry – private sector to do more,” he said.