Ghana’s largest power generation companies, Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority (BPA) joined other institutions on Friday to plant trees as part of the Green Ghana initiative aimed at combating the impact of climate.
While VRA observed the Green Ghana Day with a tree planting exercise at the Akwamuman Senior High School in the Eastern Region, Bui Power Authority and some of its key stakeholders planted trees at the Bui Generation Station in the Savannah Region.
Senior High Schools that participated in the VRA’s exercise in the Asuogyaman District were Akwamuman SHS, Adjena Senior High/Technical School, Apeguso SHS, Boso Senior High Technical and Anum Presbyterian SHS.
“The exercise formed part of the Authority’s commitment to promoting sustainable development towards a greener Ghana,” VRA said in a post on Facebook.
In a speech read on behalf of the CEO of BPA, Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, the Director for Estates, Mr. Maxwell Wumbilla Salifu, stressed that the importance of forest reserves to all forms of life on earth cannot be underestimated.
He further stated that in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Ghana is enjoined in Target 15.2 to “promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.”
He continued that BPA was committed to relentlessly establishing forests cover through its flagship ‘Forest Resource Enhancement Programme (FREP)’ to implementing climate mitigating actions through tree planting within all BPA’s operational areas among others with the needed resources to achieve their desired objectives.
He indicated that the FREP initiative commenced in 2012 on a pilot scheme and has, over the years, received a tremendous boost with an expansion from a coverage area of 423.67 acres as of 2021 to 1,423.67 in 2023 under his leadership.
On bushfire management, he paid special tribute to the Ghana National Fire Service deployed to Bui and PAPs Contractors in complementing the OHSE Team’s efforts to achieve this.
The Deputy Director of OHS&E, Mr Chrisentus B. Kuunifaa indicated that the forests are serving as the “lungs of the earth that support our very existence and survival on this planet.”
He, therefore, underscored the critical role forests play in BPA business continuity and operational excellence, in line with the theme for the 2023 Green Ghana Day; ‘OUR FORESTS, OUR HEALTH’.
He catalogued some of the benefits of the established forests which included the provision of clean air, carbon capture, food, medicine, water (hydrological cycle) and support the life of all forms and well-being.
On his part, the Director of the Power Operations Department, Mr Samuel Nimako Boateng reiterated that energy was key to human development such as providing basic needs, increasing productivity and improving effective health care delivery.
He stated that being conscious of the imminent threats of climate change and global warming, BPA would continue to position itself to contribute zero carbon emissions in its operations.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
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