Leverage partnerships for needed technical expertise

By Ernest Bako WUBONTO

The General Manager of the Jospong Green Transition Office, Rev. Dr. Glenn Kwabena Gyimah, has emphasised the critical role of technical expertise in driving sustainable waste management, urging stakeholders to leverage partnerships to attract the needed knowledge and capacity for effective environmental solutions.

Speaking as a panellist at the Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025 organised by the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) in Accra, Rev. Dr. Gyimah said acquiring the machinery, infrastructure and technical know-how to build resilient green businesses remains a challenge—making public-private partnerships (PPPs) crucial to long-term success in the sector.

“We have been able to leverage partnerships to secure sustainable investments, develop efficient waste collection systems, and manage electronic waste effectively. PPPs have been instrumental in building the systems we needed,” he noted.

He further identified key barriers to scaling sustainable investment in plastic waste management—chief among them regulation gaps and limited access to funding. According to him, achieving lower carbon emissions will require capital-intensive investments in infrastructure supported by consistent policy enforcement.

“There is weak regulation enforcement. Informal sector players are operating outside sustainability standards and getting away with it. Waste-to-wealth initiatives can only succeed with policy-backed incentives and capital infusion to formalise and scale operations,” he stated.

During the panel discussion, participants stressed the importance of aligning policy, technical skills and accessible low-interest financing to build a viable circular economy. They also advocated increased funding for green infrastructure and targeted skills development for youth in waste management technologies at tertiary institutions.

Prof. Chris Gordon of the University of Ghana commended the Jospong Group for its collaboration with the university in training students through internships and exchange programmes. He highlighted the success stories of some students who, after interning with Zoomlion, have gone on to establish waste management businesses both on and off campus.

Other members of the panel included Edward Debrah, a chartered environmentalist and sustainability professional, and Nana Akosua Korang Agyare, a circular economy youth activist with Thinking Minds Ghana.

The Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025 brought together policymakers, industry leaders and environmental experts to explore innovative waste management solutions and promote eco-friendly economic transformation.

Proposed interventions from the panel included stricter enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), cross-sector collaboration, re-engineering of supply chains, the promotion of alternatives to single-use plastics, and the formal integration of informal waste pickers into national recovery systems.

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