Ghana’s banking sector is increasingly being drawn into a new era of environmental accountability following the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) intensified compliance and enforcement exercise targeting regulated undertakings across the country. The exercise covers sectors including manufacturing, energy, hospitality, construction and Infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and notably offices and commercial facilities such as banks and financial institutions.
The development, backed by the EPA Act, 2025 (Act 1124), is reshaping conversations around sustainability, environmental compliance and operational risk managementwithin the financial services sector.
In a public announcement issued on 8th January 2026, the EPA notified all regulated undertakings, including businessesand commercial facilities, that operating without valid environmental permits constitutes an offence under Ghana’s environmental laws. In many ways, the new regulationsignals the arrival of a stronger environmental regulator, a new environmental sheriff in town.
The EPA has therefore encouraged all regulated entities, including banks, to regularize their facilities and obtain the required permits to avoid sanctions and enforcement actions.
The move has sparked widespread discussions within Ghana’s banking industry, particularly regarding the requirement for bank branches, offices, and operational facilities to obtain environmental permits. For many observers, the development signals a major shift in environmental governance, one that expands environmental accountability beyond traditional high-risk sectors such as mining, agriculture, oil and gas, and manufacturing.
According to environmental experts, modern environmental regulation has evolved significantly and now recognizes that even, everyday commercial activities can generate environmental and public health impacts. Thus the era where environmental regulation focused primarily on factories and extractive industries is rapidly changing. Today, sustainability and environmental responsibility extend across all sectors of the economy, including banking and financial services, a direction strongly reflected in Ghana’s new EPA Act and regulations.
The new EPA framework therefore reflects a more proactive approach to environmental management, focusing on preventing environmental harm before it occurs rather than responding after damage has already taken place. The Act responds to increasing urbanization and the growing environmental risks associated with energy use, waste generation, chemical exposure and climate change.
Under Section 29 of the Act, the EPA is empowered to conduct environmental assessments and issue permits for undertakings who are likely to have adverse effects on the environment.
The applicable undertakings are defined under the Environmental Assessment Regulations, 2025 (LI 2504), particularly the “First Schedule”. Under the General Construction and Infrastructure Sector of the Regulations, banks are specifically captured within the category of “offices and shops.” Other interesting undertakings captured under the category of offices and shops include Government Offices, Police Stations, Military Barracks, Markets, Shopping centres and malls etc.
From the EPA’s perspective, a bank branch is more than an administrative office. It is a public facility visited daily by large numbers of customers and employees, consuming energy, generating waste, operating generators, using chemicals for fumigation, using refrigerants, and managing electronic equipment that may adversely impact the environment.
Environmental experts argue that banking operations possess a far greater environmental footprint than many people assume. Modern banking halls and office buildings rely heavily on air conditioning systems, centralized ventilation, standby diesel generators, electronic devices, lighting systems, and fumigation chemicals to support operations.
Improper management of these systems can contribute to air pollution, hazardous and electronic waste generation, chemical exposure, poor indoor air quality and climate-related environmental risks.
Industry observers believe the new environmental regulationis creating a stronger link between finance, sustainability, and environmental governance in Ghana’s banking sector. The evolving regulatory environment aligns closely with global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and the Ghana Sustainable Banking Principles (SBP), which encourage banks to integrate environmental and social considerations into their operations, governance, andbusiness strategies.
Clearly, environmental compliance, sustainability considerations, risk management, public health and safety, governance and operational resilience have become strategic business imperatives for financial institutions. The growing focus on environmental compliance is expected to influence how banks approach operational risk assessments, facilities management, procurement practices, ESG reporting and corporate sustainability strategies.
Environmental protection is a shared responsibility. As banks continue to serve thousands of customers across cities, towns and rural communities; employees, customers and the general public all have a role to play in promoting environmental compliance. Employees should remain conscious of environmental compliance requirements within their workplaces, while customers and the public should take interest in whether bank branches operate with the required EPA environmental permit.
Together, we can strengthen environmental accountability, promote regulatory compliance and support the protection of public health, safety and the environment.
Written by:
Kingsley Owusu Anom, ACIB
Sustainability Professional and Enthusiast
