Ghana’s climate action efforts are yielding more than environmental gains; they are opening up a wave of new green job opportunities for young people, women, and entrepreneurs across the country.
According to Daniel Akwetey Lamptey, Principal Project Officer at the Climate Change Unit of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Ghana’s climate programmes, particularly under the Ghana-Swiss bilateral carbon market agreement, are not only helping to reduce harmful emissions, but also quietly creating a new workforce trained and employed in the country’s growing green economy.
Although he could not categorically state the number of jobs created so far, he mentioned that they are still taking stock of the total number of green jobs created so far, adding that early estimates already show significant progress.”
Manufacturing, Mobility, and Clean Tech Driving Jobs
Daniel Lamptey revealed that under just six climate-focused projects tied to Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), over 500 direct green jobs have been recorded so far. These jobs are spread across innovative sectors such as clean cookstove manufacturing, including LPG and improved biomass stoves
He added a number of jobs have been created in the electric mobility, especially electric bikes (E-bikes), which are also replacing fossil-powered motorbikes. These bikes, he says, are helping with green delivery and transport services, powered by locally assembled electric bikes
He cited one notable project that has already transferred carbon credits and established a cookstove manufacturing plant in the North Industrial Area, employing a large number of women workers to assemble and distribute the clean stoves for homes and the commercial sector.
The Wahu Electric Bike Revolution
One of the standout stories is Wahu, an electric bike company based near Spintex Road. Wahu’s bikes are fast becoming a hit, not just for their environmental benefits but for the income-earning potential they offer.
“You’ll be surprised to find degree holders riding Wahu electric bikes for deliveries,” Mr. Lamptey noted. “Some are making up to GHS 1,000 a week just from deliveries.”
With plans to roll out 115,000 electric bikes, thousands of entrepreneurs, especially young people, stand to benefit from the rising demand for clean transport and logistics solutions.
Green Jobs: The Unspoken Climate Benefit
The Principal Project Officer at the EPA further stressed that Ghana’s climate policies are not just about cutting emissions or meeting global commitments, but also about improving livelihoods, creating sustainable employment, and building local industries.
These, he says, are real and sustaining jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and tech. Many of them are women, youth, and even graduates. That’s the beauty of climate-smart development.
He assured the public that a full assessment of green jobs created across all NDC-related projects is underway and will be published soon to give the public a clearer picture of the employment impact of Ghana’s climate actions.
For Daniel Lamptey, as Ghana fights climate change, it’s also fighting unemployment, with solar panels, electric bikes, and clean cookstoves.
