Emulating WILMAR’s sustainable ethos is a clarion call to Ghana’s business sphere – ECOAFRICA
n a spirited appeal, corporate entities across Ghana have been urged to reengineer their operational tenets to champion sustainability, thereby joining the vanguard in the global climate crusade.
The call to action, when heeded with diligence, harbours a plethora of potential, which was articulated Dr. Maxwell Ampong, Executive Director at the Environmental Careers Organisation of Africa (ECOAFRICA).
Dr. Ampong expressed a concern that the dialogue around sustainability among the business echelons of Ghana – encompassing entrepreneurs, burgeoning enterprises, SMEs, and larger corporations – remains somewhat subdued. The conjecture is that perhaps the inherent values and profound messages of sustainability remain elusive to some.
He advocates for a more community-centric approach, positing that safeguarding the interests of the community and its natural environs yields reciprocal benefits for corporations.
During a tête-à-tête with Business24, on the fringes of the inaugural African Climate Communications Conference and Exhibition (ACCCE) held in Accra, Dr. Ampong explained, “Engaging in climate discourse not only unveils a business facet but also reverberates on moral and personal dimensions. As citizens of this realm, we are beholden to our nation, our compatriots, our progeny, and to ourselves to make substantive contributions towards our planet’s sustainability.”
Wearing the hat of the CEO of Maxwell Investments Group as well, Dr. Ampong encouraged corporations to distil their messages to simplicity and seek alliances with local chieftains in their operational locales to efficaciously harness the merits of sustainability.
He lauded the strides made by Ghana Speciality Fats Industries Limited (GSFIL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wilmar Africa Limited and a prominent agro-business entity in Ghana, in embedding sustainability into its core operations and fostering a collaborative ethos among its supplier cohort.
“The blueprint laid down by GSFIL & WILMAR is indeed exemplary and I yearn for the Ghanaian business populace to take a leaf from their book. The ongoing dialogues GSFIL maintains with its suppliers, and its relentless pursuit for the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) is noteworthy.
Moreover, the educative forums they host for their suppliers on ISCC and the advantages of sustainability and climate-amicable practices are a revelation to be hold!” expressed an enthused Dr. Ampong.
Although the veil of unawareness has been identified as a stumbling block towards nurturing a sustainability-centric culture, Dr. Ampong accentuated that one need not be a savant to make a meaningful contribution to the climate cause. He underscored the simplistic yet impactful measures individuals could adopt – like opting for paper bags over plastic ones.
He unveiled that a well-trodden path towards sustainability not only caters to the climate agenda but also augments a company’s financial bottom-line in many ways, echoing his earlier sentiments that there is good to be got in taking the sustainable and climate-friendly path.
Drawing attention once more to WILMAR and GSFIL’s endeavours in bolstering climate communication, he acknowledged them as a community asset.
He concluded, “Emulating such stalwarts, though demanding in the outset, is a worthwhile venture. The dividends in the long haul are substantial, with your company’s goodwill ascending exponentially.”
