The Ghana Climate Innovation Center
(GCIC) has been launched as a technology hub designed to help over 100 local
clean technology businesses develop and commercialize innovative solutions to
climate change.
First of its kind in the country, the
center will support Ghana’s National Climate Change Policy by contributing to
the production of clean energy and the mitigation of up to 660,000 tons of CO2
over the next ten years.
The mitigation target is the equivalent
of 140,000 cars for one year.
Ultimately, the GCIC is expected to
help more than 300,000 Ghanaians increase their resilience to climate change.
It is an initiative under the World
Bank’s Climate Technology Program, in partnership with Ashesi University, the
governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, and Ghana’s Ministry of
Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI).
“The Ghana CIC solidifies the role of the private sector in helping
Ghana manage the effects of climate change,” said Henry Kerali, World
Bank Country Director for Ghana. “By
enabling entrepreneurs and green innovators to test and scale new clean
technologies, homegrown business solutions can help the country build climate
resilience, while also contributing to job creation and economic development.”
Climate change could have a
significant impact on Ghana’s economy. According to the World Bank report ‘Economics
of Adaptation to Climate Change’, without a proper green growth strategy,
Ghana’s agricultural GDP is projected to decline by 3 to 8% by the middle of
the century.
Coastal erosion from rising sea levels
could result in significant loss of land and forced migration, while extreme
weather events could further strain the country’s infrastructure.
To reduce the long-term costs of
climate change and create opportunities for sustainable growth, the GCIC will
provide local companies with the knowledge and resources they need to
prototype, develop, and market innovative clean technologies in sectors like
climate-smart agriculture, waste water treatment, and off-grid renewable
energy.
“The solutions that CIC entrepreneurs will
create – from solar home systems to efficient irrigation – will help Ghana’s
citizens manage these [climate] impacts,” said Henry Kerali.
The services offered by the center
will include
seed financing, policy interventions, and market connections, as well as
technical and business training.
The World Bank’s Climate
Technology Program is establishing a global network of Climate Innovation
Centers (CICs) in seven countries around the world—Ghana, Kenya, South Africa,
Ethiopia, the Caribbean, Morocco and Vietnam.
The centers are locally owned
institutions that provide local clean technology ventures with the knowledge,
capital and access to markets required to launch and scale their businesses.
Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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