By Erica Apeatua Addo
Tarkwa (W/R), June 26, GNA-Mr Kwame Appau, Manager of Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL) Tarkwa Mine, has implored institutions to commemorate the World Environment Day with concrete actions rather than words.
He stated: “Beating plastic waste pollution was not something that could be achieved in a single day, and it was not the responsibility of just one person or organisation.”
Also, it required consistent action, shared responsibility, as well as social and cororate accountability.
“Every single-use plastic we refuse and every environmentally conscious decision we make contributes to a cleaner environment, a healthier Ghana and sustainable world.” Mr Appau stated.
Mr Appau gave the advice in Tarkwa when the GFGL partnered with the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly to observe the 2025 World Environment Day.
The celebration was on the theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
He said as stewards of this planet, they have a sacred duty to protect it from the tidal wave of plastics choking their oceans, poisoning their soil, and threatening every living creature including themselves.
According to the Tarkwa Mine Manager, statistics showed that, by 2050, there could be more plastics in the ocean than fish if they continued this path.
He said as a leading actor in the mining industry, they have implemented a site-wide policy aimed at significantly reducing single-use plastics while, working towards 100 per cent recycling of any plastic waste on their site.
This aligns with their commitments to minimize adverse impacts of their activities while, maximizing the positive effects on the environment and on their stakeholder communities, he explained.
Mr Appau assured Ghanaians that Gold Fields would continue to explore opportunities for greater collaboration with its stakeholder communities and local plastic recycling firms to combat plastic pollution.
In addition, he charged institutions to focus on creating a lasting environmental legacy that would benefit future generations, and not just meeting compliance standards.
Mr John Kwasi Adingelah, Senior Manager, Environment and Laboratories, emphasised that they have not only met to celebrate the splendour and diversity of the planet, but also to reaffirm their responsibility to preserve and protect the ecological systems that sustained life.
He said at Gold Fields they remained focused to their commitment to sustainable development stewardship and the conservation of natural resources, recognizing their vital goal in supporting the health, resilience, and prosperity of both current and future generations.
Mr Ebenezer Cobbinah, Municipal Chief Executive of Tarkwa Nsuaem, on his part thanked Gold Fields for collaborating with the Assembly to host this event, said their commitment to environmental sustainability was commendable.
He reminded residents that “plastic pollution threatens our health, chokes drainage systems and affect agriculture. For this reason, let us reduce the use of plastics, keep our surroundings clean and support recycling effort”.
Mr Alex Damtey, Municipal Environmental Health Officer for Tarkwa Nsuaem, lamented that when the assembly organized clean-up exercise, many residents failed to participate.
He recalled that, “in the past, anyone who refuse to attend communal labour will face consequences from our traditional leaders. I am appealing to our able traditional leaders to enforce these community rules to help tackle the plastic waste menace.”
Nana Ampong Kwesi II, from the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council, who chaired the function, lauded Gold Fields for taking steps to minimise plastic use in their mining operations.
He encouraged the management of the Mine to replicate this initiative in the municipality to promote environmental protection and public health.
On behalf of Gold Fields, Mr Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation and Mr Solomon Djaba Ocansey, the Acting Community Relations Manager, Tarkwa Mine, donated ten skip containers to the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Environmental Health Department.
GNA
Edited by Justina Paaga/Benjamin Mensah