Professor Samuel Famiyeh, the Dean of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Business School, has emphasized that properly implemented sustainability programs by companies can result in enhanced operational and environmental performance.
He highlighted that businesses are facing mounting pressure to integrate sustainability practices into their operations due to customer demands for eco-friendly products and regulations imposed by governing bodies.
Speaking at an inaugural lecture in Accra on the topic “Environmental Managing Practices, Operational Competitiveness, and Environmental Performance: Empirical Evidence from a Developing Country,” organized by GIMPA, Prof. Famiyeh stressed the need for the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to incorporate sustainability plans into academic programs.
This integration would enable students to make informed decisions regarding environmental practices.
The professor further explained that the implementation of effective sustainability programs would not only contribute to cost reduction but also lead to overall performance improvement through the adoption of energy-efficient modules.
In addition, Prof. Famiyeh called upon financial institutions to demand evidence of environmental permits before providing financial support to companies.
He stated, “To implement sustainability, there should be increased attention paid to firm operations within the entire supply chain. In the business context, sustainability seeks to prevent the depletion of natural resources and also prevent pollution.”
Prof. Famiyeh highlighted the challenges faced by Ghanaian firms in implementing environmental management systems, as identified through research contributions in the field of sustainability and competitiveness.
These challenges include high implementation costs, processing fees, expensive consultancy services, excessive paperwork, and the poor quality of consultants.