Africa’s events industry urged to embrace sustainable practices beyond PR and publicity at Climate x Culture Summit

Stakeholders in Africa's creative industry have called for greater commitment to environmentally sustainable practices in event planning and production, warning that the industry must move beyond sustainability claims to deliver measurable action.

They say event organisers, corporate sponsors and policymakers must work together to reduce waste, promote recycling and make environmentally responsible practices an integral part of Ghana's growing entertainment and events industry.

The call was made during a panel discussion on “Greening Ghana's Events and Creative Industry” at the Climate x Culture Summit 2026, where industry players highlighted the environmental impact of large-scale festivals and the opportunities for creatives to contribute to climate action.

Strategist at Republic of Amusement, Peter Ansah, admitted that although some event organisers were making efforts to integrate sustainability into their operations, the industry was not doing enough to demonstrate its environmental commitment.

He cautioned against greenwashing, where organisations promote themselves as environmentally responsible without translating those claims into meaningful action.

“I think in the climate sense, those who are climate, we call it greenwashing. Because we are PR people. So we like to, every now and then, say, hi, we are green.

Hi, we are green. Hi, we are green. Not all of it sometimes translates into action,” he said.

Mr Ansah, who has worked with major festivals including Afro Nation and Global Citizen, said considerable resources were already being committed to waste management, recycling, conservation and restoration at some events.

He, however, acknowledged that sustainability initiatives were not sufficiently visible to audiences and that more needed to be done to make environmental responsibility part of the overall event experience.

“We have not been green enough. I think that there is, for every experience, there is a lot we can do to be able to make sure that we are responsible and we are accountable for some of the actions that we take,” he said.

Senior Business Development and Research Lead at the OR Foundation, Joseph Zotoo, highlighted how circular economy practices could be incorporated into festivals without compromising entertainment and audience experience.

He cited the organisation's Obroni Wawu Festival as an example of how sustainability could be combined with creativity and entertainment.

According to him, the foundation works with environmental cooperatives involved in beach clean-ups, restoration efforts around the Korle Lagoon and waste management at the Kantamanto Market.

He said these groups are integrated into the festival's operations, helping to manage waste and recover materials that can be converted into economic value.

Mr Zotoo added that much of the infrastructure used at the festival, including chairs, canopies, tables and coverings, was made from upcycled materials.

He also called for greater patronage of locally developed circular products by event organisers to encourage investment in sustainable alternatives.

Energy researcher and economic policy analyst, Benjamin Nsiah, said creative organisations must make sustainability part of their institutional culture and use reliable data to measure the environmental impact of their activities.

He urged event organisers to establish baseline environmental information before production and compare it with post-event data to determine whether their interventions had reduced waste and the use of unsustainable materials.

Mr Nsiah also encouraged creatives to recognise climate action as an economic opportunity, arguing that their influence could be used to promote environmental awareness while creating new sources of income.

“I think that creatives must see this climate action as a space to make money,” he said.

He noted that musicians, filmmakers and digital content creators had the reach to influence public attitudes and could develop documentaries, short videos and other creative productions addressing environmental challenges.

Engagement Manager of the Ghana National Plastic Action Partnership, Nii Noi Omaboe, also called for changes in how plastic waste is managed at events, particularly through improved waste segregation and reduced reliance on single-use products.

He suggested that event organisers could encourage patrons to bring reusable water bottles rather than rely on disposable plastic bottles.

Mr Omaboe identified poor waste segregation as a major constraint on Ghana's recycling industry, explaining that recycling companies often struggled to obtain sufficient quantities of clean materials for processing.

He called on the government to support the provision of waste segregation bins across cities and improve waste collection arrangements to strengthen the recycling value chain.

He also highlighted the importance of the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility framework, which seeks to require companies to take responsibility for the plastic products they introduce into the market.

The panel also called for greater involvement of corporate sponsors and other private-sector players in financing the transition towards sustainable events.

Mr Ansah argued that sponsorship arrangements should go beyond brand visibility and sales targets to include support for environmental interventions.

He said Ghana's Green Finance Taxonomy could provide opportunities for businesses supporting qualifying green projects, while encouraging event organisers to incorporate sustainability into their proposals to sponsors.

He, however, cautioned that the risks associated with adopting new materials and technologies in event production should not be left solely to organisers.

He said government, sponsors and other industry stakeholders must share responsibility to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices.

Joseph Zotoo further called for sustainability and circular economy considerations to be incorporated into procurement processes, arguing that event organisers should consider environmental impact when selecting materials and vendors.

The panel, moderated by Randy Walker, brought together representatives from the creative industry, environmental organisations and the energy sector to examine practical ways of reducing the environmental footprint of Ghana's events industry.

The Climate x Culture Summit 2026 was organised by CultureJoint Media in partnership with the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability at the Presidency, under the theme “Designing Sustainable Creative Experiences for Africa”.