Ghana launches UN-backed low-carbon building drive to tackle 1.83m housing deficit
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Ghana has launched a United Nations-backed project to promote low-carbon, locally sourced building materials and affordable housing, with the works and housing minister arguing the country's 1.83 million-unit deficit is a chance to build more sustainably.
Ghana has launched a United Nations-backed initiative to promote sustainable construction materials and affordable housing as part of efforts to address an estimated 1.83 million housing deficit while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Transforming Ghana's Built Environment Through Sustainable Materials Demonstration Project was launched in Accra through a partnership between the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources and UN agencies including the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Office for Project Services and UN-Habitat. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and seeks to promote locally available, low-carbon building materials, strengthen local construction value chains and support the delivery of affordable, climate-resilient homes.
Speaking at the launch and stakeholder validation workshop on 22 October 2026, the Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Ahmed Ibrahim, said the housing deficit presented both a significant development challenge and an opportunity to adopt more environmentally sustainable construction practices. He stressed that decisions on building materials made today would have long-term consequences for carbon emissions, noting that buildings can last 100 years or more. “With much of Africa's future building stock yet to be constructed, choosing low-carbon materials is essential to reducing emissions for generations to come,” he said.
Ibrahim called for a shift away from conventional, energy-intensive construction methods, arguing that Ghana needed innovative approaches to meet its housing needs without increasing its environmental footprint. The initiative is expected to encourage locally available and environmentally friendly materials, including bio-based products and alternatives to conventional cement and steel where technically appropriate, and to establish a framework for responsible sourcing of building materials.
The head of the UNOPS Ghana country office, Linda Agbesi, said the project would apply a whole-life-cycle approach to housing development, considering the environmental and economic implications of buildings throughout their life rather than focusing solely on construction costs. She highlighted a techno-economic feasibility study on low-carbon model houses designed to support the ministry's District Housing Programme in line with Legislative Instrument 2411, which examines the technical and financial viability of the models, their compliance with regulatory requirements and their potential for expansion.
Thomas Kankam-Adjei, national projects coordinator and country adviser for UNEP, said the built environment was central to achieving international climate and sustainable development targets and that choices made in the construction sector today would influence emissions for decades. The project also involves technical and analytical support to advance circularity in construction, alongside research, stakeholder engagement and pilot initiatives, and the launch doubled as a workshop to review a draft compendium of locally available low-carbon building materials.