First Lady awarded for her outstanding contribution toward Ghana Green Building Agenda

The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana H. E. Mrs. Rebecca Akufo- Addo has been awarded for her outstanding contribution towards Green Building Projects in Ghana at the just ended EDGE Ghana Green Building Awards, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra. On the same night, the Rebecca Foundation also received an award in the Education category for its green, sustainable market crèches. The prestigous awards were in recognition of the First Lady’s dedication and commitment to building the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in kumasi as well as her role in advocating for social change and climate action. Addressing the gathering, H.E Mrs. Rebecca Akufo- Addo urged everyone to be a good custodian of the environment by preserving it for future generations. According to her, the reckless abuse of the environment and natural resources is leading towards disaster, hence the need for everyone to be a climate advocate summed up in the quote "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors but we borrow it from our children” One way to support the agenda for sustainable living, is in the building industry. Building green sustainable structures not only addresses climate concerns, but also provides an opportunity to impact the people who inhabit them", she said. Mrs Akufo-Addo provided the positive impact of the Komfo Anokye Mother and Baby Unit to buttress her point. “I cannot give you a charge without taking on some responsibility myself. I am proud to highlight the Rebecca Foundation’s modest contributions to social change and in particular climate action, through our Lets Go Green Initiative and the construction of the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the first green hospital in Ghana and Africa certified by IFC EDGE. The facility is able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two hundred and fifteen tonnes per year, save almost one thousand seven hundred and eighty megawatt hour energy consumption and ten thousand, four hundred cubic metres of water annually. These measurable benefits are evidence and motivation, for all of us to sign up as green advocates and EDGE Champions”. The First Lady also commended the IFC EDGE for their Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiency (EDGE) software, which offers a faster, easier, and more affordable way to build and brand green. She congratulated other award winners, especially the young design students and charged them to continue to be green advocates and revolutionize the Ghanaian building industry. The EDGE Green Building Challenge was funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and organised in partnership with IFC EDGE, the Ghana Green Building Summit, OOA and Goldkey Properties.