News Guide Africa

Tag: Australia

  • Ghana looks to Australia as it plans 24-hour economy

    Ghana looks to Australia as it plans 24-hour economy

    Ghana says it is drawing lessons from Australia as it moves ahead with plans to introduce a 24-hour economy, aimed at boosting productivity through multi-shift labour systems.

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, said Australia’s experience, particularly in its service and industrial sectors, offers valuable insights as Ghana explores ways to expand economic activity beyond traditional working hours.

    Speaking at celebrations to mark Australia Day in Accra, the minister reaffirmed Ghana’s appreciation for Australia’s long-standing investment and development support, especially in the extractive sector.

    “Ghana deeply appreciates Australia’s meaningful contribution to our development, particularly in the extractive sector where Australian companies have played an important role through responsive investment,” he said.

    Mr Kofi-Buah also welcomed the planned launch of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research office in Accra, describing it as a sign of Australia’s forward-looking engagement with Ghana and Africa.

    He said the new office would strengthen collaboration in key areas such as climate change adaptation, food security and agricultural development.

    Australia’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Berenice Owen-Jones, pledged continued commitment to deepening relations between the two countries. She noted that the global environment is facing growing uncertainty, with increasing pressure on the international rules-based order.

    “This moment requires more diplomacy,” she said, adding that Australia would continue to work through existing and new coalitions, as well as within multilateral institutions. Ms Owen-Jones said both Ghana and Australia share both an opportunity and a responsibility to support each other as they navigate global challenges and pursue sustainable development.

    The Ghana–Australia relationship has strengthened over the years through trade, investment, and development partnerships. Australia has been a key partner in Ghana’s extractive and agricultural sectors, while both countries continue to collaborate on education, climate initiatives, and capacity building.

    Officials from both nations say that the relationship is underpinned by shared values, mutual respect, and a commitment to promoting sustainable economic growth in Africa.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • AngloGold Ashanti strengthening climate resilience

    ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI 

     

     

    AngloGold Ashanti says it is working to strengthen the climate resilience of its business and value chain partners, host communities and the environment in which it operates.

     

    In a statement, the miner said: “Our Climate Change Strategy aims to deliver measurable progress, focus our actions, and demonstrate our commitment to proactive, holistic, sustained and transparent action on climate change.”

     

    To achieve this, AngloGold Ashanti said its Climate Change Strategy adheres to five key Principles that include, “Seeking to ensure that our core values are upheld through actions arising from the Climate Change Strategy, maintaining external commitments where we are a signatory, including the ICMM’s Mining Principles, the ICMM’s Position Statement, the WGC’s Responsible Gold Mining Principles and the UNGC; taking a holistic, long-term, life-of-mine and systemic approach to managing climate risks that include aspects beyond the fence line, supply chains, communities and ecosystems; using the latest science-based data, information and knowledge to support decision-making and disclosing in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).”

     

    AngloGold Ashanti noted that its roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 is embedded within its strategy and comprises three stages:

     

    1. Target 100% clean electricity (>70% green) including wind, solar, hydrogen, and battery, combined with new storage technologies.

     

    2. Eliminate the use of fossil fuels and adopt 100% electrification. This will include the adoption of electric material movement technology (conveyors, railveyors, trolley assist, battery technology), and energy efficiency initiatives and will be supported by innovative approaches (such as in situ leaching).

     

    3. Use carbon offsets if necessary and as a last resort, particularly where this could support local communities.

     

    Decarbonisation journey

     

    AngloGold Ashanti noted that it has set an interim target of cutting Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 through a combination of renewable energy projects and initiatives which improve efficiency or use lower-emission power sources.

     

    “We have taken significant steps towards this target with the start of our renewable energy project at Tropicana in Australia and switching to the national power grid at Geita in Tanzania.”

     

    In Australia, the miner noted that subsidiary AngloGold Ashanti Australia entered into an agreement with Pacific Energy to build one of the largest renewable energy projects in Australia’s natural resource sector.

     

    It added that the construction of this hybrid wind, solar and battery storage facility will be the first of its kind to be implemented by the company and will reduce our average carbon emissions by more than 65,000 tonnes per annum over the 10-year life of the Power Purchase Agreement.

     

    At the Geita Gold Mine in Tanzania, AngloGold Ashanti mentioned that a switch diesel generation is being replaced with grid power sourced with a more environmentally friendly combination of energies, including hydropower and natural gas.

     

    The mine is drawing power from a new on-mine substation linked to Tanzania’s national power grid. The switch will result in an estimated 80% reduction in fuel consumption.