The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has launched a Solid Waste Optimisation Strategy as part of efforts to transform waste management in Accra, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, and position the city on a path towards a climate-responsive and zero-emissions waste sector.

The strategy launched on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the Accra City Hotel was expected to provide a structured pathway for reducing waste sent to landfills, improving sanitation infrastructure, promoting source separation at household and institutional levels, enhancing composting and resource recovery, and strengthening the governance and financing of municipal solid waste management.

The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, in a welcome address read on his behalf by the Presiding Member of the AMA, Hon. Musah Ziyad, said waste management remained one of the most pressing environmental and public health challenges facing Accra, adding that the strategy would promote waste reduction, source separation, resource recovery, composting and improved environmental outcomes for residents.

According to him, technical, financial, environmental and social studies undertaken with support from the C40 Cities Finance Facility had positioned the Waste Source Separation and Composting Project for implementation.

Hon. Allotey stated that the project had already garnered significant interest from financing institutions and had been selected for grant support from the African Development Bank, describing the development as a major milestone that demonstrated confidence in Accra’s vision and capacity to deliver transformative climate action.

He expressed appreciation to the C40 Cities Finance Facility, GIZ, C40 Cities, the Governments of the United Kingdom and Germany, and other partners including the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the office of the Minister responsible for Climate Change and Sustainability, the Ministry of Finance, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, private sector actors, civil society organisations and community representatives for their contributions and support.

Ms Charlotte Beck of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, who spoke on behalf of the British Government, said the work being done in Accra aligned with commitments made during President John Dramani Mahama’s recent visit to London, where a new Growth Partnership was signed to support Ghana in transforming ideas into investment-ready infrastructure that improved lives.

Ms Beck said the project represented the type of practical climate finance intervention the British Government sought to support, as it unlocked financing, strengthened institutions and left lasting capacity behind stressing that Accra’s work was not a standalone success, but already shaping wider systems across Ghana, informing national approaches, strengthening partnerships across ministries and demonstrating that the model could be replicated in other cities.

The National Coordinator of the Cities Finance Facility, Mr Abraham Afful, said waste management remained a critical sector in Accra’s climate action agenda and that the Waste Optimisation Strategy had been developed to guide the management of waste in the city.

He said the launch was intended to ensure that the strategy did not remain on the shelf but was translated into an implementable project adding that the objective was to move away from talk and focus on practical action that would deliver visible improvements in waste management, public health and climate outcomes.

Speaking on behalf of the German Embassy and GIZ, Mr Gunnar Wegner, Cluster Coordinator for the Energy and Climate Portfolio at GIZ, commended the AMA for its proactive efforts to explore innovative and sustainable waste management solutions.

Mr Wegner said Accra deserved recognition for demonstrating leadership in addressing complex urban challenges through strategic partnerships and practical solutions that contributed to climate and development goals, noting that one of the most important aspects of the project was ensuring that the proposed waste management system aligned with the realities of service delivery.

The strategy, which is a 10-year roadmap from 2025 to 2035, is designed to transform waste management across selected municipalities in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area as well as support job creation, improve public health outcomes, reduce illegal dumping and open burning, and enhance the city’s resilience to climate-related risks such as flooding and air pollution.