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0 Ghana’s first major conference to address plastic pollution has taken place at Marriot Hotel, Accra, on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
The inaugural Green Palette Stakeholders Conference convened a dynamic mix of environmental advocates, industry leaders, policymakers, creatives and development partners to address one of Ghana’s most urgent environmental challenges: plastic pollution.
Held under the theme “Beyond Plastic: Collaborative Solutions for a Greener Tomorrow,” the half-day event created a timely platform for cross-sector dialogue on sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to the country’s growing plastic menace.
The conference was hosted by Green Palette, an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative of Koranteng & Koranteng Legal Advisors, reflecting the firm’s commitment to sustainability through advocacy, creativity and community engagement.
The conference opened with a keynote address by the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Ghana, Tolu Kweku Lacroix. He highlighted the global and local dimensions of plastic waste, emphasizing the urgent need to invest in systems that reward innovation, circularity and long-term impact.
Mr. Tolu outlined a comprehensive strategy to combat plastic pollution, starting with holding producers accountable through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
He pressed for the swift passage of Ghana’s draft EPR regulations, which would require companies to manage the lifecycle of their plastics. By charging higher fees for non-recyclable packaging and setting up take-back systems, Ghana could emulate South Africa’s successful EPR framework introduced in 2021.
He called for urgent, collective action to tackle the crisis threatening Ghana’s environment, economy, and public health.
The highlight of the day was a thought-provoking panel discussion which explored wide-ranging topics including the state of plastic waste management in Ghana, policy and regulatory gaps, grassroots innovation, private sector accountability, and green finance opportunities. The dialogue underscored the importance of context-specific, inclusive solutions anchored in local knowledge but aligned with global ESG frameworks.
Members of the panel included Joseph Yeboah, Strategic Partnerships and Engagements Lead at UNIDO Ghana; Makafui Awuku, Innovator & CEO at MCKINGTORCH Africa; Efia Adofoahwaa, Relationship Manager, Sustainable Finance, Partnerships, Sustainability & CSR at Fidelity Bank and Salim Ahmed, a Sustainable Material Artist.
The panel was expertly moderated by Ebenezer Amankwah, a seasoned Marketing and Communications Strategist. A special Green Stories segment spotlighted personal and institutional efforts to address plastic pollution, featuring impactful voices from corporate Ghana, environmental advocacy groups and the creative industry.
In her closing remarks, the Director at Green Palette and Managing Partner at Koranteng & Koranteng Legal Advisors, Afua Koranteng, reaffirmed the role of the private sector in accelerating sustainability efforts. She announced that insights and recommendations from the conference would be consolidated into a national green paper to inform future ESG policy engagement and cross-sector partnerships.
This is just the beginning,” she said. “We are building a coalition committed to transforming how Ghana engages with plastic, from consumption to policy, from waste to opportunity.”
Participants concluded the day with a collective pledge to support public education and behaviour change initiatives through storytelling, digital advocacy and grassroots mobilisation.
The Green Palette Stakeholders Conference not only talked shop but also set the tone for ongoing sector-wide collaboration, innovation and actionable change toward a cleaner, greener Ghana.
The event was proudly supported by partners and sponsors including United Nations in Ghana, OmniBSIC Bank, First Bank Ghana, Asili Coffee and Green Gold, whose commitment to sustainability and collaborative solutions made this impactful gathering possible.
