The Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Abdulai Abanga, has called for the employment of green technology solutions in solving the country’s housing challenges.

Speaking at the launch of the 2022 Ghana Green Building Summit, he noted that the housing and construction industry plays a crucial role in Ghana’s fight against climate change and hence stakeholders in the industries should embrace green innovative technologies to promote a sustainable environment.

“According to the 2019 building status report for buildings and construction, almost 40% of the greenhouse gas emotions are from the building and construction sector. This calls for the need for a consensus on alternative ways by which our buildings can contribute to a green environment especially in our cities. We also need to embrace green technology in our housing and construction sector to enable a greener environment”.

He further added that his ministry is on course to setting up a housing authority with the mandate of regulating and planning Ghana’s housing developments.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has said that Ghana is on course to achieve its national energy generation mix of 10% by 2030.

“A number of projects have been completed across the country to gradually increase the country’s energy mix. Volta River Authority has completed 22 megawatts solar projects in Navrongo, Lawra and Kaleo. For the first time in West Africa, we have constructed a one-megawatt solar panel floating on the Bui Dam reservoir. We have installed over 120 megawatts representing over 2.4% of the national generation mix and we are committed to achieving our target of 10% generation mix by 2030”

Commending Ghana on her efforts to ensuring a greener environment, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson said, Ghana has shown leadership in taking steps to ensure energy sustainability, but added, there is more the country can do to harness the opportunities in the transition space.

“Ghana is doing a lot of work in the energy transition space. The country was impressive at COP 26 last year in Glasgow, The country is doing very well, however, there are huge opportunities through sustainable energy options to improve accessibility at the same time.”

“We cannot say the transition to sustainable energy sources is at the expense of economic growth since there is a huge space to do those things in parallel and to make advantage of the shift to renewables to create new economic opportunities”, she noted.