UNU-INRA organizes Consultative workshop on climate clean sector

Accra, Aug. 2, GNA - The United Nations University for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) on Tuesday organized a consultative workshop to provoke debate among experts and stakeholders in policy development and practice to help address policy barriers and gaps in the climate clean sectors in Ghana.

The meeting under the auspices of the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) project, which is a global partnership of World Bank and the Danish International Development Agency, is being implemented by Asheshi University College (Ghana), Netherlands Development Organization,  and Ernst &Young.

The UNU-INRA had the responsibility of implementing the policy and regulatory component of the GCIC, which aims at addressing the policy and regulatory challenges of clean technologies in Ghana.

Mr Elias T. Ayuk, the Director of UNU-INRA, said in overcoming these challenges the country had to achieve “green growth” which would lead to economic development and job creation in an environmentally sustainable manner.

He said the workshop was one of the major objectives of UNU-INRA which was to bring together academic and policy researchers working on climate policy to improve integration of research and exchange while informing future policy decisions.

The objective of the workshop was to create a debate among experts and stakeholders, which would outline the challenges to innovation in climate clean technologies in Ghana, as well as the governance mechanisms that could help improve clean technologies access, he said.

The workshop was to address the review of climate and clean technology policies and identification of gaps, and strategic interventions to address challenges and policy gaps.

He noted that the lack of clear policy and regulatory instruments was one of the main barriers for large-scale deployment.

Mr Ayuk said these issues coupled with inadequate regulatory enforcement and poor coordination among ministries, departments and agencies pose challenges for the development and growth of the sector.

He noted that GCIC’s project seeks to provide financing, mentoring, training and business advisory services to support emerging entrepreneurs and new ventures involved in developing locally appropriate solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in Ghana.      

He said the interest for innovation and clean technologies from the use of locally available renewable resources in Ghana were growing though the climate and clean technology sector in the country has not grown at the rate expected.

Mr Fredua Agyemang, the Director of Environment of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) said the Ministry had been involved in the GCIC project right from the initial stages.

He said the government recognized and applauded the focus areas of the project on energy efficiency, solar energy, water management and purification, domestic waste management and climate smart agriculture.

Speaking on the theme: “Creating an Enabling Environment for Scaling up Climate and Clean Technologies in Ghana,” Mr Agyemang said the Ministry’s was carrying out its mandate to promote science and technology application in the country, create enabling environments for innovations that can be used to address the current environmental challenges.

Mr Agyemang said for industrialization, the National Climate Change Policy master plan and STI policy must recognize the development of the food processing industries to enhance the value additions for the local market and export.

He said waste management policies aim to support recycling to reduce industrial waste in the environment, develop efficient waste management system and generally promote the use of clean technologies in the production systems.

He expressed happiness about the development of clean technologies for waste management by some businesses in the first cohort of the GCIC programme and pledged government support to all innovative businesses to enhance growth and sustainability.

Mr Agyemang urged entrepreneurs who were supported by the programme to put all the knowledge they had acquired into full application to help promote clean technology and sustainable development in the country.

GNA

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