Ghana Moves to Build Economy That Protects Nature, Creates Opportunities and Ties Sustainability to Long-Term Growth

Ghana is stepping up efforts to weave environmental sustainability into the heart of its economic planning, with policymakers, development partners, and the private sector working together to build what they call a “nature-positive economy.”

The move comes at a time when businesses are increasingly confronted with the dual challenge of remaining competitive in a fast-changing global economy while responding to rising concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable use of natural resources.

At the centre of this push is the Nature Transition Support Programme (NTSP), an initiative funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Global Centre on Biodiversity and Climate. The programme is being implemented in five countries , Ghana, Ecuador, Colombia, Indonesia, and Vietnam and aims to help economies integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into economic and fiscal planning.

A two-day stakeholder workshop held in Accra and themed “Building a Nature-Positive National Economic Transformation Roadmap” pooled representatives from government, academia, civil society, and international partners to validate Ghana’s roadmap for this transition.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, Head of Environment and Climate Cluster at UNDP Ghana, said the country has reached a turning point where economic growth cannot be pursued at the expense of nature.

“This workshop is more than a results-sharing platform, it’s a call to action for all sectors to integrate nature into Ghana’s economic and fiscal planning. Aligning our development pathways with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is key to a sustainable and inclusive future,” he noted.

UNDP Ghana, he added, remains committed to mobilising innovative financing through initiatives such as the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) to support investments that protect ecosystems while spurring growth.

Dr. Michael Kusi Appiah, Chief Analyst at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), emphasized that economic development must be viewed holistically.

“As we pursue growth and job creation, we must remain mindful of the hidden social and ecological costs of unsustainable resource use. This initiative reflects our commitment to aligning economic prosperity with the health of our natural environment, ensuring long-term sustainability for all,” he said.

The roadmap is expected to provide a structured guide for policy choices that support job creation, industrial growth, and export development without undermining ecosystems. According to participants, the focus is not just on conservation but on how green and blue economy models from sustainable agriculture and forestry to eco-tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy can create new growth poles for Ghana.

Hamza Butt, Programme Officer with UNEP-WCMC, highlighted the technical backbone of the NTSP, which rests on four pillars:

• Country engagement to ensure political buy-in,
• Integrated economic and ecological modelling to forecast long-term impacts,
• Political economy analysis to identify barriers and enablers, and
• Policy coherence to harmonise government actions across ministries.

These, he said, will guide Ghana in exploring alternative development pathways that balance fiscal stability, industrialisation, and ecological health.

From the Presidency, Dr. Ishmael Nii A. Doodoo, Director of Innovative Finance, Partnerships and Markets at the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, pointed out that lessons from the NTSP feed directly into the government’s 24-Hour Economy agenda, which seeks to expand productive capacity and create jobs around the clock.

“The NTSP Project presents timely opportunities that can significantly shape the second phase of Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy. We must harness these insights in a structured and strategic manner. Building professional capacity within the nature-positive sector is key to unlocking sustainable growth,” he said.

He added that integrating environmental accountability into Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy drive would make the initiative more attractive to investors looking for sustainable and responsible markets.

The workshop also featured contributions from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), all of whom underscored the importance of data-driven policymaking in ensuring transparency and accountability.

With Ghana’s economy recovering gradually from recent fiscal challenges, experts say the shift toward a nature-positive growth model could be a game-changer. It presents opportunities for green financing, export diversification, and private-sector innovation, while also ensuring that long-term growth does not come at the cost of degraded forests, polluted water bodies, and lost biodiversity.

The roadmap, once finalised, is expected to be incorporated into Ghana’s National Economic Transformation Framework and will influence decisions on budget allocation, private sector incentives, and industrial strategy.

As Dr. Saeed of UNDP put it: “The true wealth of Ghana lies not just in gold, cocoa, or oil, but in the ability to preserve and wisely manage our natural capital.”

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