By Albert Oppong-Ansah, GNA
Austria, June 24, GNA – Austria has signalled its readiness to deepen collaboration with Ghana on sustainable urban development, recycling systems, and clean transport infrastructure, describing Ghana as a key partner in building a technologically advanced and environmentally responsible future.
Ambassador Elisabeth Kornfeind, Director General and Vice-Minister for Europe and Economic Affairs, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Vienna.
She noted that the initiative forms part of Austria’s newly introduced Africa Strategy.
The strategy aims to establish equal and mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries, anchored on four key pillars: economic cooperation, stability and security, migration, and education and culture.
“Austria ranks among the global leaders in smart, sustainable city management. In this area, we can both benefit from working together to address the needs of rapidly growing economies like Ghana,” Ambassador Kornfeind stated.
She highlighted Austria’s advanced urban planning models, which prioritise energy efficiency and a high quality of life, and said such approaches could be effectively adapted to Ghana’s rapidly expanding cities.
Ambassador Kornfeind also pointed to Austria’s expertise in wood-hybrid construction and low-carbon building materials as a valuable resource for Ghana.
Those technologies, she said, could support the development of energy-efficiency, affordable housing as well as sustainable commercial infrastructure – helping Ghana to tackle its housing deficit while meeting its climate commitments.
On waste management, she cited ongoing collaborations as evidence of successful bilateral engagement.
“The SA-GHA-KOMPTECH Waste Academy, an Austrian-Ghanaian business partnership, is currently delivering demand-driven waste processing training programmes,” Ambassador Kornfeind said.
“This demonstrates that cooperation in recycling and circular economy practices is already yielding positive results,” she said.
The Ambassador further noted that Austria was supporting green industrialisation initiatives and sustainable water resource management in the Volta River Basin, underscoring its established footprint in Ghana’s environmental sector.
Looking ahead, she expressed optimism about enhanced technical cooperation between both countries.
“We welcome the prospect of Austrian and Ghanaian engineers working side by side on eco-friendly public transport systems, rail infrastructure, and energy-harvesting technologies capable of capturing kinetic energy from traffic flows,” she said.
Such innovations, she explained, could pave the way for next-generation, low-emission urban transport systems that ease congestion while reducing carbon emissions.
“Ultimately, this should not be about choosing between economic growth and environmental protection. It is about working together to demonstrate that both objectives can be achieved simultaneously,” she added.
Ambassador Kornfeind emphasised Austria’s credibility in the green transition, noting that over 90 per cent of its electricity is generated from renewable sources, while more than 60 per cent of its new technologycompanies focus on climate, environmental, or social impact solutions.
GNA
Edited Agnes Boye-Doe
24 June 2026
Writer: Albert Oppong-Ansah
Email: [email protected]