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Ghana Climate Innovation Centre launched at Ashesi University

The World Bank Group, in partnership with Ashesi University, the governments of the Denmark and the Netherlands, and Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), inaugurated today the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC), a technology hub designed to help over 100 local clean technology businesses develop and commercialize innovative solutions to climate change.

Ultimately, the GCIC is expected to help more than 300,000 Ghanaians increase their resilience to climate change.

“The Ghana CIC solidifies the role of the private sector in helping Ghana manage the effects of climate change”, said Henry Kerali, World Bank Country Director for Ghana. “By enabling entrepreneurs and green innovators to test and scale new clean technologies, homegrown business solutions can help the country build climate resilience, while also contributing to job creation and economic development.”

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According to the World Bank report , without a proper green growth strategy, Ghana’s agricultural GDP is projected to decline by 3 to 8% by the middle of the century. Coastal erosion from rising sea levels could result in significant loss of land and forced migration, while extreme weather events could further strain the country’s infrastructure.

To reduce the long-term cost of climate change and create opportunities for sustainable growth, the GCIC will provide local companies with the knowledge and resources they need to prototype, develop, and market innovative clean technologies in sectors like climate-smart agriculture, waste water treatment, and off-grid renewable energy.

The services offered by the centre will include see financing, policy interventions, and market connections, as well as technical and business training.

Supported by the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, the centre will be managed by a consortium led by Ashesi University College with Ernst & Young, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, and the United Nations UniversityInstitute for Natural Resources in Africa.

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The GCIC is part of the World Bank’s Climate Technology Program and its global network of Climate Innovation Centres. Other centres have been established in the Caribbean, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morroco, South Africa and Vietnam.

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