The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has advised players in the building and construction sector to abide by regulations and ensure the safety of people, environment as well as the structures they build or manage.

He said, considering the dwindling levels of natural resources, architects, contractors and facility managers must utilise resources efficiently and consider alternative sources of energy such as solar when building.

Speaking at a forum in Accra on Wednesday to mark World Facility Management Day, he again tasked members of the Ghana Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IMFA-Ghana) to “champion the construction of green buildings, where energy usage is reduced to the barest minimum and avoid practices that impact the environment negatively.”

World Facility Management Day is to celebrate the contribution of Facility Managers and discuss other pertinent issues within the industry.

Tackling the theme: “The Role of the EPA in Shaping Sustainable Future in Ghana,” Dr. Kokofu maintained that building contractors must reserve spaces and adopt practices such, tree-planting and gardening to help replenish lost resources.

He further urged players in the built environment to preserve cultural and architectural heritage of demarcated areas and ensure people were not exposed to noise pollution, and other hazardous elements.

Highlighting the mandate of the EPA, the Chief Executive Officer called for collaboration as the Agency continued to take steps to protect the environment.

He said Facility Mangers had a role to play in protecting the environment and must promote “environmental sustainability” in their operations while working hard to bring on board people in the informal facility management sector.

Madam Regina Christiana Koomson, a Certified International Property Specialist, aslo indicated that buildings were “major contributors to pollution” hence the need for Facility Managers to get involved in sustainable development initiatives, especially that which related to recycling, reducing carbon pollution, among others.

She urged members of the association and stakeholders in the sector to “conduct audit of buildings” and ensure the use of eco-friendly materials.

Mr. Sampson Opare-Ayemang, President of IMFA-Ghana Chapter, commended members of the association for their efforts and urged the EPA to ensure contractors who built high-rise structures “provide space for waste segregation.”

By Ernest Nutsugah