Can environmental performance rating programmes succeed in Africa? An evaluation of Ghana's AKOBEN project

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse Ghana's AKOBEN programme which is the first environmental performance rating and public disclosure programme in Africa. Furthermore, by means of a SWOT analysis, the article assesses the suitability of AKOBEN as a veritable tool for promoting good environmental governance in Ghana specifically and Africa in general.

Design/methodology/approach

The description of the design, scope and operation of the AKOBEN programme is based on 42 semi structured interviews and series of informal interactions with officials of Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the organisation that runs the AKOBEN project, industry participants, civil society representatives and other stakeholders. This extensive interaction with relevant actors and stakeholders and the analysis of extant literature on environmental disclosure projects provided the basis for a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis of Ghana's AKOBEN programme.

Findings

AKOBEN possesses several elements that make it capable of being an effective environmental governance tool in Ghana. These include inter alia high level political support, comprehensive rating criteria and transparency in the design of the programme. However, certain weaknesses such as the absence of a specific legal and institutional framework among others could undermine the chances of the programme attaining its full potential. Other African countries can reasonably copy the AKOBEN model with success.

Originality/value

Assessment of Africa's first ever environmental rating programme provides insight that can help Ghana to consolidate on the strengths while addressing the weaknesses of the rating programme. Other African governments considering the establishment of a similar rating programme can learn a lot from the analysis of Ghana's EPA's AKOBEN programme.

Citation

Boatemaa Darko‐Mensah, A. and Okereke, C. (2013), "Can environmental performance rating programmes succeed in Africa? An evaluation of Ghana's AKOBEN project", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 24 No. 5, pp. 599-618. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-01-2012-0003