A Rocha Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana Call For Green Business Ideas
As part of efforts to ensure a Green Business economy in Ghana, A Rocha Ghana and Tropenbos Ghana have launched a call for Climate-smart Green Business ideas.
A green business combines innovative ways of doing business to protect and restore the natural environment, not causing any harm, and at the same time contributing to national and/or international climate goals of mitigation and/or adaptation as well as biodiversity conservation.
The initiative, which is under the Mobilizing More for Climate (MoMo4C) project is a five-year programme (2019-2024) funded by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry in partnership with IUCN-Netherlands Committee, WWF, and Tropenbos International, and seeks to develop innovative finance for climate action using a Landscape Approach.
Call Launch
Deputy National Director, A Rocha Ghana-Mr. Daryl Bosu
Speaking at the launch which took place in Accra on July 22, 2021, Deputy National Director for A Rocha Ghana, Mr. Daryl Bosu took time to highlight the importance of the innovation call.
According to him, MoMo4C seeks to ensure inclusive and climate-resilient landscape.
“If we say inclusive, we mean bringing together all state and non-state actors to help communities and businesses bring forth ideas that will help address mitigation and adaptation challenges at the local level. “
“We want to use #MoMo4C to get private sector interested and invest in interventions that will ensure that issues that are drivers of vulnerability in the landscape are also addressed,” Mr. Bosu said.
Head of Climate Change unit at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Antwi Bosiako Amoah
On his part, Head of Climate Change unit at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Antwi Bosiako Amoah said, every Ghanaian “has a responsibility to play to ensure that the sanctity of the environment is preserved.”
He added, the EPA is happy to be associated with the MoMo4C programme.
Expert Panel
National Director for A Rocha Ghana, Dr Seth Appiah Kubi, after officially launching the call, outdoored members of the Expert Panel.
Expert Panel for the MoMo4C Green Business Call
The members of the Panel are; Mr. Edward Babalola, Project Coordinator, Development Partner Projects at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB); Mrs. Gladys Ofei, Senior Trade and Information Officer, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Mr. Dela Wosornu, a private business consultant and Mr. Lawrence Ahuren, Regional Manager for Business Resource Centre, Ghana Enterprise Agency of Western North Region.
Dr. Appiah Kubi appealed to the MoMo4C expert panel not to be extremely strict, rather be basic in order not to exclude the grassroot people who may have brilliant ideas but cannot put them into writing.
About the call
The MoMo4c is being implemented in Ghana by Tropenbos Ghana in Sefwi Wiawso, Juabeso, and Bia Landscape whereas A Rocha Ghana implements the initiative in the Mole Ecological Landscape in the Savannah Region of Ghana.
The programme aims at bringing together entrepreneurs, corporate entities, policymakers, investors, and civil society organizations to make green business propositions.
These should tackle the impacts and causes of climate change at a landscape level in developing countries, contribute to climate-resilience and (gender) inclusive, sustainable development in the landscapes where they are proposed, and attract investments to implement these initiatives.
Project Coordinator at Tropenbos Ghana, Evans Mensah Sampene addressing participants at the launch
According to the Project Coordinator at Tropenbos Ghana, Evans Mensah Sampene, in the coming years, they would identify other key landscape challenges and make calls for business ideas to tackle them.
“I’ll urge the private sector to get involved and actively support projects aimed at mitigating climate change so together, we all address the effects of climate change,” – Gladys Offei, Representative from the Dutch Embassy said.
Subject and Award of the call
In the Mole Ecological Landscape, the initiative seeks to build climate change resilience and achieve landscape restoration. In this case, the initiative should help in reducing firewood and Charcoal production related deforestation. It should also help improve access to renewable biomass energy.
At the Sefwi Wiawso, Juabeso and Bia Landscape, the initiative is expected to build the adaptive capacities of the landscapes to develop resilience against climate change, curtail cocoa-related deforestation and promote crop and income diversification.
Selected promising businesses will be supported in various forms based on their needs. During the support process, full business plans with investment blueprint will be developed with selected businesses. An investor day event will be organised to showcase all bankable business cases. A special award will be granted in support of the most promising business case after a pitch.
On how to apply kindly visit the A Rocha Ghana and Tropenbos websites respectively.
Deadline for submission of proposals is August 20, 2021.
