Green Run, the biggest Climate Change campaign in Ghana has been held in Accra.
The first edition witnessed over 500 people run and walk 7 kilometres, representing the 7 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) connected to Climate Change.
A cross section of people including foreign emissaries, entrepreneurs, government agencies, students and the general public went through some principal streets of Accra in their green reflector vests for the worthy course.
The Green Run was organized by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC), one of eight Climate Innovation Centres around the world. It was aimed at extending conversations around Climate Change to the general public and prompting behavioural change to save the planet.
The Executive Director of GCIC, Ruka Sanusi, affirmed the need for personal climate action to mitigate the effects of Climate Change. In her estimation, this was an effective way to win the fight against Climate Change.
“In the face of this global crisis, Climate Change, we can play our part to mitigate its effects. When people come to understand the extent of damage Climate Change is causing our planet, especially its effects in Africa, they would be in a better position to answer this call to action” she said.
“It takes 2,700 litres of water to make one cotton shirt – the quantity of water you and I would drink in two and half years. That means we would have to look at innovations around how manufacturers produce textiles. We can make textiles from bamboo, pineapple peel and waste, and other material, so we don’t deplete planet earth” she advised.
She added that “GCIC through its entrepreneurs is innovating solutions to Climate Change –energy efficiency, solar energy, water purification and management, climate-smart agriculture and waste management”.
During the Run, Torchbearers led the way with green bamboo torches – passing them on after each kilometre – to symbolize each individual’s responsibility to take Climate Action and to pass on education on Climate Change to all others.
Some GCIC entrepreneurs, innovating solutions to Climate Change, exhibited their products and services at the Green Run.
Founded in 2016, the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre is a pioneering business incubator with a unique focus of developing SME ventures and entrepreneurs in Ghana’s Green Economy.
It is funded by a grant from the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands through the World Bank and is managed by a consortium led by Ashesi University, including Ernst and Young, SNV Ghana and the United Nations University.
GCIC has incubated about 83 businesses from across the 16 regions of Ghana, with 27 being women-led. These have created 127 direct jobs, 57 of whom are women.
So far, 1129 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions have been avoided through the innovations of GCIC entrepreneurs and business ventures. Over US$1.4 million has received by businesses as grants. $US684,828 of that was disbursed as Proof of Concept (PoC) grants by GCIC.
Today, over 200,000 households have access to products and services from our incubated entrepreneurs and business ventures.
Some images from the Green Run…
