As part of Absa Bank’s commitment to sustainable development, the bank joined the Green Ghana national campaign championed by the Government of Ghana to plant five million trees to help improve Ghana’s green cover and save the depleting forest reserves.
Collaborating with the Forestry Commission, employees of the bank in a nationwide exercise supported the initiative by planting 5,000 tree seedlings from the commission, to commemorate Green Ghana Day. Some employees also joined Senior Government officials, the Forestry Commission, and Diplomatic Community to commemorate the Day at a brief event held in Accra.
Commenting on the Green Ghana project, Mr. Cyril Nai, Head of Marketing and Communication at Absa Bank Ghana said the bank will continue to be a force for good in society by championing and supporting initiatives that will ensure a sustainable and brighter future for Ghana.
“At Absa, bringing green possibilities to life also means partnering our stakeholders and communities to restore our lost forests and repair the damage to our ecosystem to help mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Mr. Nai.
“As a group, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to playing an active role in shaping a sustainable future through several initiatives; including being one of the founding signatories of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Banking. We understand that our role as agents of economic growth and development involves being responsible stewards in all aspects of our operations”.
According to Mrs. Priscilla Yeboah, Head of Citizenship at Absa Bank Ghana, the bank sees the Green Ghana initiative as an important opportunity to leverage Sustainable Development Goal number 17 which calls for partnerships to strengthen the implementation of the goals.
“As a forward-looking bank that believes in sustainable development, we are inspired by the Green Ghana project which will help create sustainable cities and communities. Absa Bank is committed to supporting initiatives that will help improve and preserve our environment as well as strengthen the country’s climate change resilience,” Mrs. Yeboah said.
The Green Ghana project is a Government of Ghana initiative implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission of Ghana, to plant five million trees to restore depleted forest cover.
As part of the project, the Government distributed millions of seedlings, including economic trees like Wawa, Mango, Rosewood, and Shea to the districts and regional offices of the Forestry Commission and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies for planting.