Beating Air Pollution Through Education

In June, Golden Star joined the global community to celebrate World Environment Day under the 2019 theme of “Air Pollution".

At the Golden Star operations our leaders held programs with the workforce and communities to discuss our role in the protection of the environment and to launch various World Environment Day activities.

Golden Star Sustainability Club members planting trees to mark World Environment Day

Tree planting activities were held with the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly, traditional leaders, members of the Golden Star Sustainability Clubs and local schools. 

Golden Star team members assist Municipal Chief Executive with tree planting

At Golden Star we believe our children are our future and that they play a critical role in advancing environmental stewardship. For this reason we promoted World Environment Day activities including environmental inspections, quizzes and tree planting at schools within our host communities. 

In a very close finish at the schools in the Wassa area, Old Subri School clinched the title for the schools’ environmental protection quiz and the schools’ environmental inspection. Congratulations to all participants!

Golden Star and traditional leaders join school quiz participants to celebrate

Golden Star actively undertakes revegetation of areas where mining is completed and have nurseries to grow native endemic trees. Since 2010 we have propagated over 178,000 indigenous plant seedlings, many of special conservation value, in former mined areas. This was supported by the replacement of topsoil and broadcasting of over 18,000 kg of plant seeds.

June also marked the two year anniversary of the commencement of revegetation of the largest tailings storage facility at our Bogoso operations. In partnership with the Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation almost 3000 oil palm seedlings have been successfully propagated in former tailings areas. 

Oil palm flourishes on a former tailings storage facility

This is what people had to say about our World Environment Day activities:

Ahmed-Salim Adam, General Manager

“The value of protecting our environment cannot be overemphasized. As we work to achieve this, my aim is to see that we do more to protect our world through planting and maintaining trees, minimizing waste generation, saving energy and avoiding burning”.

Shaddrack A. Sowah, Managing Director

“This day highlights environmental issues which affect all of mankind: climate change, air pollution, poor waste management and excessive deforestation.

As a leader in Golden Star, I am in support of sustainable initiatives for environmental improvement for our catchments. In this regard, these celebrations aim to bring communities, regulators and mine leadership together to improve the environment.”

Francis Sarfo, Environment Superintendent

“World Environment Day is a key forum to create awareness and recognize the impact we have on the environment. This year’s campaign on air pollution highlights a big issue in developed and developing countries. Some of the simplest ways of reducing air pollution impact is the planting of trees and waste management. We must be proactive to create awareness when it comes to environmental stewardship.”

Raymond Seworh, Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly

“As we celebrate this year’s World Environment Day air pollution is a vital theme, as the ozone layer is being depleted and human pollution from industrialization is affecting our health. Let each of us individually work to have a clean environment for a healthy life.”

Kennedy Boadu, representing the Municipal Director of Education

“This year’s theme is a laudable one because the country and the world as a whole have to be reminded of the causes and effects of air pollution. I would thank Golden Star for reminding us that human behaviour is the key contributing factor to air pollution. Educating the public is key and Golden Star is doing this.”

Emmanuel Kini Ababio, President of Sustainability Club

“Golden Star management made a good decision by organizing this program. We learnt a lot and it reminded us of what we can do. As a president, I will make sure that my colleagues are ambassadors of protecting the environment. We are going to make sure that we put into practice what we have learnt so that our environment will be safe in the hands of our generation. Thank you Golden Star”.

Gloria Damoah, Prestea Secondary Technical School

“World Environment Day promotes education, which leads to behaviour change. If we keep on practicing reforestation, it is going to help us reduce carbon monoxide in the environment and have a positive impact on our lives. I would recommend that we help preserve the quality of the environment by educating the youth on the causes and effect of pollution and to teach them how to protect it.”

Nyanzu Agyabu, HSEC Manager

“I am happy that this celebration brought education to the community and school children on the need to reduce air pollution. The children exhibited their knowledge on prevention of air pollution and committed to carry the message to their communities and homes.”

Peter Addai, Golden Star Oil Palm Plantation

“My aim is to protect the environment for generations to come and I am grateful for Golden Star for giving me the opportunity to expand our oil palm plantations into former mined lands which helps to protect the environment and create a livelihood for our communities.”

If you'd like to find out more about Golden Star and its approach to CSR, please visit www.gsr.com/responsibility.