COP31: Jospong pushes African-led waste management solutions

Ghanaian business conglomerate Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) is showcasing its waste management solutions and seeking international partnerships at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.

The conference, which opened on November 9 and is expected to end on November 20, 2026, has brought together world leaders, policymakers, climate experts, investors and private sector representatives to discuss climate action, sustainable development and green investment.

Jospong Group is using the platform to promote African-led waste management solutions and explore partnerships to expand its environmental services across the continent.

The Group's delegation is led by its Executive Chairman, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, alongside senior executives from its subsidiaries and businesses, including Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP), Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), and Asian African Consortium (AAC).

At its exhibition booth, the Group is promoting two key messages: "Creating a Cleaner, Greener Africa" and "Scalable Waste Solutions for Growing Cities".

The messages reflect its focus on developing waste management systems that can address the environmental challenges facing rapidly growing African cities.

A major feature of Jospong's participation is the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP), a waste-processing model designed to recover useful materials from municipal solid waste while reducing pollution and dependence on landfill disposal.

The system combines waste sorting, material recovery, recycling and compost production to turn waste into useful resources.

According to the Group, the model can help improve sanitation, create jobs, attract private investment, support agriculture through compost production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with poor waste management.

Jospong is presenting the model to government representatives, municipal authorities, development institutions and investors as an option for countries seeking more sustainable ways to manage waste.

The Group's participation in COP31 also comes as it pursues plans to expand its environmental services beyond Ghana.

Its expansion ambitions cover nearly 30 African countries, with interests and engagements in markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Liberia, Guinea, The Gambia and Togo.

The Group believes its waste management model could help countries facing rapid population growth, inadequate waste infrastructure, unemployment and increasing environmental challenges.

It is therefore seeking to encourage investment in integrated waste management facilities that can improve sanitation, recover valuable materials and create employment opportunities.

Beyond promoting its waste management solutions, Jospong is using COP31 to explore business opportunities and establish partnerships with governments, investors and development institutions.

The Group hopes to turn its engagements at the conference into agreements and investments that will support the development of waste management infrastructure across Africa and other markets.

Jospong's participation in COP31 builds on its previous involvement in international climate initiatives.

At COP28 in Dubai in 2023, representatives of the Group, led by Dr Agyepong, engaged with Switzerland's Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), represented by Ambassador Felix Wertli.

The engagement involved a reported €20 million authorisation arrangement relating to internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) from the Group's integrated recycling and composting facilities.

The arrangement highlighted the potential for waste management projects to contribute to international carbon-market initiatives.

Through its participation in COP31, Jospong is seeking to demonstrate that African businesses can develop and deliver practical solutions to environmental challenges.

The Group is also advocating greater recognition of African innovation, investment and technical expertise in global efforts to address climate change.

As the conference continues, attention will be on the partnerships, investment opportunities and agreements that emerge from its engagements.

Story by Mawuli Ahorlumegah, reporting from the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkey