By Issah Mohammed, GNA
Accra, Sept. 30, GNA – African businesses risk losing access to international markets as global buyers increasingly make ESG disclosures a requirement for suppliers.
The requirements, covering carbon emissions, water use, labour practices and supply-chain traceability, could raise compliance costs and affect the competitiveness of African firms seeking global contracts.
Prof. De-Graft Owusu-Manu, President of Green Communities International, said this at the media launch of the Third International Conference on Environmental, Social Governance and Sustainable Development of Africa (ICESDA 2026), scheduled for October 22 and 23 at Pentecost University.
He said African businesses were being required to report on their environmental performance, treatment of people and governance systems using standards largely developed outside the continent.
Prof. Owusu-Manu said the standards did not necessarily reflect the economic conditions in African countries, creating challenges for businesses across various sectors
The conference is to be held on the theme “The Africa We Want: Driving Transformational and Inclusive Green Growth through ESGs and Digitalisation.”
It will examine ESG issues across the built environment, agriculture and agribusiness, energy and green transition, digital infrastructure, and business and financial systems.
Prof. Owusu-Manu said the conference would assess the impact of ESG requirements on African businesses and explore approaches that supported the continent’s green growth and global economic participation.
Prof. Douglas Boateng, Board Chairman of Green Communities International, said sustainability requirements in international procurement could directly affect African businesses’ competitiveness.
He said buyers in Europe, North America and Asia were increasingly requiring suppliers to provide evidence on carbon content, water use, labour practices and traceability.
Prof. Boateng said companies unable to provide such evidence could lose business, even where they might actually meet the required standards.
“When a Ghanaian firm loses a contract because it cannot evidence a standard it in fact meets, that is job loss,” he said.
Prof. Boateng called for stronger measurement systems and greater African participation in developing sustainability standards to enable businesses to generate reliable evidence of their performance.
The conference is expected to attract about 700 delegates from more than 15 countries, including representatives of ministries, regulators, financial and development institutions, businesses, universities and research institutions.
The event is being organised by Green Communities International in collaboration with Pentecost University and will produce a communiqué and policy brief from 12 working sessions on ESG and sustainable development.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
30 Sept. 2026
Reporter: Issah Mohammed