Accra: Korean companies operating in Ghana, in partnership with the Korean Embassy and local environmental NGO Plastic Punch, have spearheaded a large-scale beach clean-up at Regional Maritime University Beach in Nungua, Accra. This initiative is part of activities to mark World Ocean Day 2025.
According to Ghana News Agency, World Ocean Day, commemorated annually on June 8, aims to raise awareness of the essential role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth and the urgent need to protect them from overexploitation and pollution. The clean-up exercise brought together Korean firms, development agencies, and Ghanaian environmental advocates in a joint effort to combat marine pollution and raise awareness about plastic waste along Ghana’s coastlines.
Korean companies including AFKO Fisheries, KH Medical Africa Centre, KOLON Global, Koreana Bus, SSK Marine, and Korea House Ninano participated alongside institutions such as KOICA, KOPIA, KEITI, KOFIH, and the Korea EXIM Bank. The participants combed the RMU beach, collecting plastic waste, rubber, bottles, and other non-biodegradables. The initiative was supported by the Korean community in Ghana and local volunteers.
Mr. Park Kyongsig, Korean Ambassador to Ghana, who joined in the exercise, emphasized the importance of collective action and stated, “Beach clean-up is part of our broader commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.” He added that it symbolizes the close relationship between Ghana and Korea, extending beyond diplomacy and business into shared values and environmental concern.
Ambassador Park revealed that Ghana and Korea had initialed a climate change agreement in late 2023, which, once officially signed, would pave the way for investments in carbon credit production in Ghana. “This partnership offers mutual benefit-not just environmentally but economically. It opens up green investment opportunities and further deepens Korea’s commitment to Ghana’s development,” he noted. Ambassador Park encouraged more collaborative efforts and regular clean-ups, saying, “Although we cannot remove all marine debris in a day, every small effort matters. A clean ocean starts with a clean beach-and we all have a role to play.”
Mr. Richmond Kennedy Quarcoo, Director of Plastic Punch, lauded the initiative as a model for international cooperation in sustainable development. “What we are seeing today is more than a beach clean-up-it’s science in action,” he said. Mr. Quarcoo explained that the data collected from the clean-up would feed into Ghana’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.1 reporting, focusing on reducing marine pollution.
Plastic Punch, which operates in Ghana, Nigeria, and Estonia, has pioneered the use of citizen science to inspire behavioral change and develop sustainable waste management solutions. The NGO is currently researching alternative packaging made from vegetal fibers and other environmentally friendly innovations to reduce marine litter in the Gulf of Guinea.
Mr. Lee Young Gyu, President of the Korean Community in Ghana, emphasized the shared responsibility in protecting the environment. “We may come from different parts of the world, but we all share one planet and one ocean. This event shows what we can achieve when we work together,” he said.
The exercise served as a precursor to the United Nations Ocean Conference scheduled to take place in France.