As part of efforts to ensure environmental sustainability, experts in extractive governance have called for a review of the nation’s laws on the exploitation of natural resources in order to appropriately address emerging environmental concerns, as well as regulate some corporate environmental practices.
According to Dr. Michael Addaney of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, laws like the Minerals and Mining Act, Act 703, the Environmental Protection Agency Act, Act 490 – which enforces the environmental regulations, should be reviewed to effectively tackle emerging challenges, particularly issues regarding the environment and climate change.
Dr. Addaney , speaking during a panel discussion on the topic ‘Striking a balance between resource exploitation and environmental sustainability: the role of mining, oil and gas companies’, at the second edition of the ‘Environmental Sustainability Summit (ESS 2023)’, noted that most of the existing laws pre-date the current environmental issues; thus making them ineffective in addressing such issues.
Dr. Addaney continued that the need for a review of such legislation has been more pressing, especially at a time when environmental sustainability has become important for resource-rich nations like Ghana.
Dr. Addaney continued that the need for a review of such legislation has been more pressing, especially at a time when environmental sustainability has become important for resource-rich nations like Ghana.
He stressed the necessity of enforceable “environmental management or protection laws.” According to him, this should include guidelines on the acceptable unavoidable levels of air, dust, and water pollution, caused among other things, by large infrastructure projects.
He added that in order to empower citizens in holding extractive businesses accountable for environmental violations, there should be procedural safeguards for community or public access to information.
Natural resources, especially hydrocarbons and precious metals, are the foundation of Ghana’s economy and the welfare of its people. Although their exploitation is a vital component of the country’s economic growth and development, it has the potential to have detrimental effects on the environment and socioeconomic conditions.
In light of this, emphasis is being directed to the sustainability of the environment in relation to the utilization of these natural resources.
Government Urged To Ensure Strict Monitoring Of Enforced Laws
Dr. Michael Tuffour, a lecturer at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), also participated in the debates and advocated in favor of strict implementation of both environmental protection legislation and regulations governing the extractive industry.
He argued given the need to exploit natural resources for economic reasons – while also ensuring environmental sustainability, the applicable laws ought to be effective.
Furthermore, concerns for both the present and future generations when exploiting natural resources must be prioritised, the lecturer said.
Dr. Tuffour pointed out that resource exploitation goes hand in hand with energy use, and that employing the appropriate technology is therefore essential to improving environmental sustainability.
Otema Yirenkyi, a member of the panel and a tech and sustainability entrepreneur, highlighted the importance of technology in reducing the environmental impact of mining.
Citing an example, she said that all the giant corporations in the oil and gas industry, like BP Oil and Shell among others, are shifting toward new technologies – including renewables and new ways of generating energy as opposed to using fossil fuels.
Nonetheless, Dr. Kwame Jantuah, an energy consultant, asserted that there must be strong political will for this to happen and for the nation to actually succeed in its effort to assure environmental sustainability.
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