Dr. Prince Hamid Armah with the participants
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has encouraged players in the construction industry to adopt sustainable practices in response to climate change, which is causing extreme weather events.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the construction sector is well positioned to shape the future by adopting climate adaptation strategies.
That, he stated, would require ensuring that buildings and structures could withstand extreme weather conditions.
The Vice President stated this in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, at the opening of the 6th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) held in Takoradi.
The two-day conference was on the theme, “Climate Adaptation Strategies in Sustainable Infrastructure Development – the role of the construction sector players”.
Dr. Bawumia stated that recognising the urgency of the issue, the government in collaboration with key international partners such as the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), had launched the “Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials” project.
He noted that the initiative outlined a comprehensive roadmap for decarbonising the building and construction sector to promote climate adaptation measures.
He said achieving the objectives of the roadmap required the full participation of all stakeholders from government agencies, private sector actors, architects, engineers, and communities.
“The onus is on all of us; developers and contractors must prioritise sustainable practices, architects and engineers must integrate climate resilience into their designs, and policymakers must enforce building codes that support environmental responsibility,” he added.
He further stressed that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 manifesto prioritises integrating climate-resilient infrastructure and green building practices to promote environmental sustainability.
The Chairman of the GhCCI, Mr. Emmanuel Tetteh Martey, stressed the need for the construction industry to go beyond brick and mortar, to adopting sustainable and innovative practices to offset climate change impacts.
He called on the government, environmental experts, planners, the academia, and policymakers, to lead the charge, especially with the upsurge of illegal mining (galamsey) that threatened the environment and caused land degradation.
Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso I, who chaired the event, said the construction industry had the power to lead the way in developing and implementing climate adaptation strategies that would shape a more sustainable future for all.
The Chief Executive Officer of Justmoh Construction Limited, Mr. Justice Amoh, said the construction industry had the responsibility not only to build roads and cities, but communities that would thrive for generations to come, in the face of a changing climate.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi