Businesses urged to incorporate environmental health operations

The Deputy Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Bernice Adiku Heloo has urged stakeholders to incorporate environment health and safety tips into their operations in order to help promote the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the maiden launch of the Environmental Health and Safety Awards in Accra, she noted that science and technology has brought in its wake environmental and health challenges through socio- economic activities.

She said to be able to achieve the SDG’s all corporate institutions must ensure that their policies are aimed at sustaining the environment.

Dr Heloo expressed government preparedness to collaborate and support public- private partnership particularly in areas related to health and safety.

“The government gives recognition to public- private partnership and encourage practitioners who make deliberate effort to ensure environmental sustainability while promoting corporate social responsibility in the society,’’ she said.

She commended Maximum Growth Africa and GRATIS Foundation for collaborating to promote safety while creating jobs.

Maximum Growth Africa is a non –governmental organisation that promotes environmental health and safety through conferences and exhibition for about five years now.

It is a platform for advocacy, networking, capacity building and to promote sustainable environment and productivity.

Mr Francis Kwaidoo, the CEO of Maximum Growth Africa explained that the excellence award is to select companies individuals and organisations that promote environmental sustainability.

It would also sponsor transformative steps urgently needed to collectively stimulate investor interest in environmentally sustainable projects and help create two million jobs with different modules in five years.

He explained some of the significance of the award” The Environmental, Health and Safety Excellence Award would help reduce the fragmentation of the eco-system as a result of human activities.

It would also promote conservation of green and sustainable settlement, cities, and towns in a planned and organised manner for a healthy, safe and sustainable development.

Mr Kwaidoo mentioned that the sectors that would be awarded include investment in health and education, environmental sanitation and pollution, innovative technology oil and gas mining, construction among others.

The Award Ceremony is slated for October 22.

The CEO of GRATIS Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Asiedu noted that the unemployment problem in Ghana could be reduced significantly if every government focuses on skills training rather than academic training.

He said: ‘’ We give people academic training instead of skills training, which does not help in job creation.

“It is only when people have the required skills to work that jobs are created. As an Institution we are ready to partner any organisation that will help with job creation as we have been doing in the past .The idea is to empower those who will undergo these training to become employers and not employees.”

The event was held on the theme:’’ Transformative and sustainable change creates a Healthy and Wealthy Nation’’.