Ghana took a significant step towards mitigating the environmental impact of its construction industry with the official launch of the “Roadmap to Decarbonise the Building and Construction Sector,” yesterday.
The roadmap, spearheaded by the Ministry of Works and Housing, under the leadership of Deputy Minister Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, is designed to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and unsustainable construction practices.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Armah indicated the urgency of addressing the sector’s contribution to climate change, noting that the building industry accounts for 37% of global energy-related carbon emissions and consumes 40% of global energy.
“Urbanisation and globalisation have drastically increased the demand for construction materials, particularly in a country like Ghana, where 58% of the population reside in urban areas,” he stated, referencing Ghana Statistical Service data from 2020.
In November 2023, Ghana launched the “Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials” initiative, a precursor to the newly introduced roadmap.
This initiative laid the groundwork for the current strategy, aimed at reducing the sector’s environmental footprint while fostering sustainable and resilient communities.
The roadmap outlines a comprehensive set of strategies such as energy-efficient systems to reduce energy consumption, green building materials to minimize carbon emissions during construction and water conservation initiatives to address the sector’s water consumption, which currently stands at 12% globally.
The others are sustainable urban planning and transportation to reduce the environmental impacts of city growth, climate-resilient building designs to withstand the effects of climate change, innovative technologies to drive sustainable construction as well as stakeholder collaboration involving government, private entities, financial institutions, and civil society.
Dr. Armah emphasized that the roadmap is not merely a policy document but a “blueprint for meaningful change.”
It lays out specific goals and actions, along with demonstration projects that will showcase Ghana’s commitment to embedding sustainability in the construction process.
“The time to act is now,” he urged, stressing that coordinated efforts from all stakeholders would be key to the success of this ambitious plan.
The Deputy Minister officially launched the roadmap and called for active engagement from all sectors to ensure its successful implementation.
“Our built environment reflects our values and our future,” Dr. Armah said.
“Let this roadmap guide us toward a sustainable, resilient Ghana that plays a critical role in the global fight against climate change.”
