Use local building materials to reduce carbon emissions – Ghanaians urged

A real estate and land agent at Wenchi, William Brown, has called on Ghanaians to embrace the use of local building materials as a means of reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change.

He explained that prioritising indigenous materials would not only protect the environment but also strengthen the economy by cutting down reliance on imported concrete products.

“Not only will the promotion of local building materials create numerous employment opportunities, it will also reduce the pressure on the demand for foreign currencies,” Mr. Brown said.

He urged homeowners and developers to consider alternatives such as burnt bricks, hydroforms, compressed earth bricks, and Adobe bricks, which are already widely used in parts of Northern Ghana.

Citing South Africa as an example, he noted that the country’s heavy use of local materials in housing has yielded positive results.

“Ghanaian bricks, bamboo, compressed earth bricks and other local building materials are the way to go because every country is talking about turning to green building materials. Fortunately for us in Ghana, especially in rural areas, the materials are all found in our local environment. We should take advantage of them while protecting the environment,” he added.

Mr. Brown also underscored the importance of training and certifying artisans in the use of local materials, as well as encouraging architects and engineers to upgrade their skills in designing with indigenous resources.

He maintained that scaling up such innovations would not only improve sustainability but also empower local communities in Ghana’s construction industry.