The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has launched a Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy aimed at transforming waste management in the capital, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving public health, and advancing Accra's transition towards a climate-responsive, low-emissions waste sector.

The strategy, unveiled on Wednesday, June 24, at the Accra City Hotel, provides a structured roadmap for reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills, improving sanitation infrastructure, promoting waste separation at source, expanding composting and resource recovery initiatives, and strengthening governance and financing within the municipal solid waste sector.

Delivering a welcome address on behalf of the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, the Presiding Member of the AMA, Musah Ziyad, described waste management as one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges confronting the city.

He said the new strategy would support efforts to reduce waste generation, encourage source separation, increase resource recovery and composting, and ultimately improve environmental outcomes for residents.

According to the Mayor, extensive technical, financial, environmental, and social studies conducted with support from the C40 Cities Finance Facility have laid a strong foundation for implementing the Waste Source Separation and Composting Project.

Mr Allotey noted that the project had already attracted significant interest from financing institutions and had secured grant support from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

He described the development as a major milestone, saying it reflected growing confidence in Accra's vision and capacity to deliver transformative climate action.

The Mayor expressed appreciation to the C40 Cities Finance Facility, GIZ, C40 Cities, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as several national and local partners, for their contributions to the initiative.

These included the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; the Office of the Minister responsible for Climate Change and Sustainability; the Ministry of Finance; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council; private sector stakeholders; civil society organisations; and community representatives.

Speaking on behalf of the British Government, Ms Charlotte Beck of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the initiative aligned with commitments made during President John Dramani Mahama's recent visit to London, where Ghana and the United Kingdom signed a new Growth Partnership aimed at turning development ideas into investment-ready infrastructure projects.

She described the waste management project as the type of practical climate finance intervention the British Government seeks to support because it helps unlock financing, strengthen institutions, and build lasting local capacity.

Ms Beck noted that Accra's efforts were already influencing broader systems across the country.

"This is not a standalone success story," she said, explaining that the project was helping to shape national approaches, strengthen collaboration among ministries, and demonstrate a model that could be replicated in other cities across Ghana.

The National Coordinator of the Cities Finance Facility, Mr Abraham Afful, underscored the importance of waste management within Accra's climate action agenda, stating that the Waste Optimisation Strategy had been developed to guide sustainable waste management across the city.

He stressed that the launch marked the beginning of implementation rather than the end of a planning process.

"The goal is to ensure that the strategy does not remain on the shelf but is translated into practical action," he said, adding that the focus was on delivering measurable improvements in waste management, public health, and climate outcomes.

Also speaking at the event, Mr Gunnar Wegner, Cluster Coordinator for the Energy and Climate Portfolio at GIZ, commended the AMA for taking proactive steps to pursue innovative and sustainable waste management solutions.

He said Accra deserved recognition for demonstrating leadership in addressing complex urban challenges through strategic partnerships and practical interventions that contribute to both climate and development objectives.

Mr Wegner added that one of the key strengths of the project was its emphasis on ensuring that proposed waste management solutions align with the realities of service delivery and the needs of residents.

The Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy serves as a 10-year roadmap covering the period from 2025 to 2035.

It is designed to transform waste management across selected municipalities within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area while creating jobs, improving public health outcomes, reducing illegal dumping and open burning, and strengthening the city's resilience to climate-related risks such as flooding and air pollution.