Tullow, Petroleum Commission boost indigenous businesses for sustainable growth

By Francis Ntow

Accra, Feb 4, GNA – Some 300 workers from 50 indigenous companies have been trained on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of a business academy partnership initiative between Tullow Ghana Ltd and the Petroleum Commission.

The two-day comprehensive workshop was conducted under the Tullow Supplier SDG Readiness Programme.

The programme was to empower workers in various divisions of indigenous Ghanaian oil and gas companies to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices into their operations.

The workers of the 50 companies selected would help with the implementation of SDG strategies into their respective business operations over a two-year period.

It included best practices on carbon capture and supply chain management, along with measurable SDG strategies, policies, and targets, and would be followed with a one-on-one tailored advisory service over 10 months.

Speaking on the initiative, Cynthia Lumor, Deputy Managing Director, Tullow Ghana said the training was to ensure a long-term sustainability of industries in the oil and gas industry.

“Empowering and enabling companies and workers in the oil and gas sector will make their business operations environmentally friendly while improving the living standards of labour and communities – and promoting diversity, inclusion, and transparency in the workplace,” she said.

She stated that the supply chains were the backbone of sector operations, and ensuring that they were sustainable, ethical, and resilient was key to driving positive change in the upstream industry in Ghana.

“Achieving these goals is not only a matter of corporate responsibility but a crucial part of securing our long-term operational success,” Tullow’s Deputy Managing Director, said.

Mr Prince Benjamin Aboagye, the immediate past Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Commission, pledged the Regulator’s commitment to empowering and assisting suppliers and companies to become sustainability-oriented.

“The Commission stands ready to support and guide indigenous Ghanaian companies through the process as we race against time to achieve the SDGs by 2030,” he emphasised.

Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to Tullow Ghana and Invest for Africa for leading the way and assisting companies in the sector to build critical competencies to integrate SDGs in their operations.

Madam Carol Annang, Country Director, Invest in Africa, called for continuous staff training, establishing a dedicated department to champion sustainability, and adopting management systems to aid the implementation of SDG efforts across all levels of business.

“We are pleased to be at the forefront of driving knowledge transfer and capacity building to equip key players in the sector to be fit for purpose as the world shifts rapidly towards sustainability,” she said.

She said the goal was to help suppliers and businesses in the oil and gas sector to become practical in implementing policies, programmes, and activities to augment the achievement of the SDGs.

GNA