Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Dr Ted Nii Yemoh Annang, has urged that sustainability be placed at the heart of Ghana’s economic and social policies.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show as part of the Joy Sustainability Month series focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ghana’s development, Dr Annang explained that sustainability rests on three interconnected pillars: economic, environmental, and social.

“There are three pillars of sustainability,” he said, “and these are described as the economic pillar, the environmental pillar, and the social pillar.”

He described sustainability as fundamentally about the wise use of resources, stressing that economic development must avoid waste and respect natural limits.

“Economically, if you want to be sustainable, what do you do? Wise use of resources. In fact, sustainability is responsibility. There should not be any waste from production to consumption. Raw materials must be acquired without unduly stressing the source,” Dr Annang said.

Referencing SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – he emphasised that no matter the economic targets, they must not destroy the natural base that sustains production.

Dr Annang pointed to the frequent tension between economic ambitions and environmental protection, observing that while economies push for unlimited growth, ecosystems operate within clear natural limits.

“In economic production, there’s no limit as long as you provide raw materials. But in the environment, there are limits to everything. It’s linked to the natural rate of production. So if your economy depends on the environment, then economic sustainability must consider that base,” he noted.

Citing Ghana’s environmental challenges, such as deforestation, degraded water bodies, and illegal gold mining, he warned that without environmental consideration, economic activities could cause lasting damage. He called for a national approach that models how forests and water bodies regenerate before resource extraction begins.

Dr Annang illustrated the interdependence of ecosystems with the example of mango production, describing the complex interactions between living and non-living things, pollination, fertilisation, and climate conditions. Disruption at any stage, he said, could prevent fruit from maturing — a reminder of the delicate balance in nature.

He also cited the declining population of adodé (a type of clam) in Ghana’s rivers, linking it to dam construction and changes in salinity levels that disrupted breeding grounds. “Every action we take affects an ecosystem. That’s why economic decisions must be guided by environmental realities,” he stressed.

On the social pillar, Dr Annang emphasised equity and equal access to resources and services, stating that social sustainability means ensuring inclusion, equal voices, and equal participation in national development. He warned against concentrating infrastructure, health, and education in only urban centres, noting that such inequalities force people to migrate in search of basic services.

Sharing experiences from his environmental impact assessments, he highlighted the stark differences between policy discussions in Accra and the realities in rural areas, underscoring the importance of addressing ground-level challenges.

Dr Annang concluded that Ghana’s progress on the SDGs will depend on how well sustainability principles are integrated into every policy.

“Sustainability must guide our thinking. We must ask how our decisions affect the environment, the economy, and people equally,” he said.