Reimagining Green and Affordable Housing: Reflections from the 2025 Ghana Green Building Summit

The 2025 edition of the Ghana Green Building Summit (GGBS) gathered senior and multi-sectoral leaders to tackle the critical question: How do we scale green, affordable housing in Ghana and across Africa, without compromising resilience, culture, or cost? With the theme “Re-Imagining Buildings and Cities for Economic and Social Prosperity,” the summit served as a high-level platform to connect policy, finance, design, and innovation, bringing together ministers, developers, academics, and international partners to drive the conversation forward. 

Key Themes and Discussions 

The summit emphasised the pressing need for a transition to sustainable practices within the built environment. In his opening address, the Honourable Kenneth Gilbert AJ, Minister for Works, Housing, and Water Resources of Ghana, highlighted that “today’s sustainability is not merely an aspirational goal but an essential requirement,” given the challenges of rapid urbanisation, climate change, and the demand for housing and infrastructure. He stressed the government’s commitment to “formulating and implementing visionary policies that promote green building practices, advance energy efficiency, and develop pioneering financing models to support sustainable development.” 

Hon. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, Minister of Works and Housing

Speakers highlighted the significant contribution of the building sector to global greenhouse gas emissions and the essential nature of making buildings greener. One speaker stressed, “It’s clear that green buildings are a necessity; they’re not a luxury.” The pivotal role of government in fostering green building through policy, regulation, and incentives was a recurring point. Innovation and the use of technology, including tools like the IFC’s EDGE program and the potential of AI in architecture, also featured prominently in discussions. 

Concerns were also raised about AI’s increasing energy demands potentially outpacing the growth of renewables, and the need for architects and engineers to consider energy efficiency in data centres and AI-driven technologies. Richard Sandall, Development Director, FCDO, British High Commission Accra, also noted the importance of considering AI’s impact, stating, “I think it’s worth thinking about AI as well…because it’s going to start eating up ever more and more of our own energy and creating more and more energy demands currently.” He further emphasised the need for architects and engineers to utilise AI technology effectively, highlighting the potential crossover between the two fields.  

Several speakers also underscored the importance of balancing green design with cultural expectations and utilising locally sourced materials. The necessity for training and capacity building in green building technology was also highlighted to ensure effective implementation. 

The Ghana Green Building Summit (GGBS) 2025 

Now in its sixth year, the Ghana Green Building Summit has evolved from a platform for dialogue into a driver of change, aligning with Ghana’s NDCs and broader climate goals. With tracks covering Finance, ESG, Cities, and Buildings, the 2025 summit reinforced that climate action in the built environment is not just necessary it’s non-negotiable. 

The Panel: The Business Case for Green Affordable Housing 

Reall’s Programme Lead – Commercial Build, Amos Mthembo, contributed to a high-level panel discussion titled “The Business Case for Green Affordable Housing,” alongside other industry experts. The panel included Sammy Amegayibor (GREDA Ghana), Amadou Thiam (Shelter Afrique), Prof. Innocent Kofi Ampadu (KNUST), and was moderated by Jesse Agyapong. The panel addressed five core areas: affordability, return on investment, policy, innovation, and financing. 

Reall’s Programme Lead – Commercial Build, Amos Mthembo along with Sammy Amegayibor (GREDA Ghana), Amadou Thiam (Shelter Afrique), Prof. Innocent Kofi Ampadu (KNUST), moderated by Jesse Agyapong

• Affordability: Beyond Upfront Cost 

Amos from Reall challenged the conventional view of affordability, stating, “Affordability is more than just an upfront cost. It’s about the life-cycle cost of the home its maintainability, resilience, and cost to run over time.” He emphasised the importance of considering factors such as location, quality, and long-term running costs. He further highlighting Reall’s experience, stating that simply delivering low-cost homes ($10,000) was insufficient, especially if they were poorly located or of low quality. Amos added, “For many buyers in this segment, the ideal is not a 20–30-year mortgage. It’s a short 5–10-year term. That’s where affordability meets reality,” stressing the need for financial products tailored to the needs of the target demographic. 

Jesse Agyapong moderating the panel

Reall’s Programme Lead – Commercial Build, Amos Mthembo speaker at the panel

• Return on Investment: Green as a Signal of Stability 

Panellists highlighted that green-certified homes can lower default risk, as healthier homes contribute to more stable households. Amos reinforced Reall’s position that green certification (e.g., EDGE) is non-negotiable, as it signals long-term quality to investors and lowers default risks via healthier, more stable households. 

• Policy and Incentives: The Need for Action 

The panel discussed policy measures such as VAT waivers and import duties, with developers advocating for a design code and consistent enforcement of building standards. There were also calls for government-backed subsidies to support the scaling of green housing. Della, one of the speakers, stated bluntly, “If we really want to scale green housing, let’s start with removing import duties for five years and commit to mass supply.” 

• Innovation: Localised and Culturally Relevant 

Panellists stressed the importance of aligning green housing with local identity and cultural expectations. The use of local materials and passive design principles were suggested as ways to bridge the gap between sustainability and cultural sensitivity. Reall, through Amos, advocated for a Climate Materials Warehouse a public-private initiative to support local production and reduce import dependency. The Lahagu Housing Project, Tamale, our EDGE-certified project, was featured in a presentation as an example of a project incorporating local materials and passive design. 

Our Lahagu housing project showcase at GGBS

• Financing Models: Guarantees and Partnerships 

Access to finance was identified as a major obstacle. The panel also explored mortgage fund models, blended finance, and the critical role of banks in creating market-appropriate financial products. As a potential solution, Amos shared Reall’s upcoming initiative GAHF (Green Affordable Housing Finance, which will launch a guarantee product in Kenya to de-risk lending to developers, with plans to expand this across Africa and Asia.  

The Way Forward: A Call to Action 

The panel concluded with a clear call to action, emphasising that building green, affordable homes for $20,000 or less is achievable through aligned interventions. Key recommendations included: 

• Tax waivers on green materials 

• Government subsidies structured for transparency and accessibility 

• Design standardisation for cost efficiency 

• Guarantees and concessional funding to attract private capital 

• Awareness-building for both supply and demand sides 

• Culturally resonant, climate-smart design 

Amos reminded the room, “The bottom 40% want functionality, dignity, and a home they can own within their means.” 

The summit reinforced the message that climate action in the built environment is essential, and continued collaboration among partners, governments, and innovators is crucial to redefine affordable housing through reimagined systems, structures, and solutions. 

At Reall, we are proud to walk this journey with bold partners, governments, and innovators. Because redefining affordable housing means reimagining systems, structures, and solutions together. 

Written by Nidhi Agarwal, Content and Communications Coordinator and edited by Amos Mthembo, Programme Lead – Commercial Build