According to him, the National Green Jobs Strategy was also to improve the efficiency of energy and raw materials as well as limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while protecting and restoring ecosystems.

He said the establishment of the National Employment Coordinating Committee (NECC) by the Ministry would play a pivotal role in strengthening employment coordination across the productive sectors and translate into the creation of green jobs.

Mr Awuah said this at the opening of the SNV Netherlands Development Organization second edition of its Green Regional Job Fair in the Western Region to expose hundreds of youth to job opportunities in the green space.

The Western Regional Job fair, which falls under the EUs funded GrEEn Project being run by the SNV, was held in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Labour Department, the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs and the Takoradi Mall.

The theme the fair was "Green and Circular Economy: A sure way to creating decent & sustainable employment and Jobs," and brought together over 500 job seekers, employers, and exhibitors from the green and circular economy.

The SNV Ghana recently, organized a 2-day CV Review Clinic in collaboration with the Western Regional Labour Department, AGI and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs to edit the CVs of job seekers and prepare them for the job openings at the fair as well as educate and sensitize job seekers on Ghana's labour laws.

The Minister said the organization of the regional job fairs was a manifestation of the huge importance the Government attached to the creation of decent and sustainable employment.

"As a matter of fact, these Job Fairs could not have come at a better time than this. I therefore seize this opportunity to commend the organizers, SNV-Ghana, European Union, Association of Ghana Industries, and other partners for their sustained interest in the sector and commitment to sustainable employment creation".

Mr Awuah said the need to create decent and sustainable employment and jobs required that these jobs were also economically, socially and environmentally-friendly.

He said this was critical because the world of work and the labour market were undergoing rapid changes as a result of climatic conditions, influx of sophisticated technologies and increasing trend of labour migration.

Meanwhile, Ghana's commitment and obligation to the tenets of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change and the National Green Jobs Strategy placed a greater responsibility on the Government for the creation of sustainable jobs.

The government, he said, would continue to roll-out more programmes and interventions to enable the teeming youth exploit their fullest potentials for national development... "We owe it a duty to bequeath to the people and youth of Ghana sustainable green jobs.

Mr. Joseph Garbrah, the Western Regional Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries, said the Green and Circular Economy was the path to be taken in achieving sustainable development in contemporary times, especially in emerging economies like Ghana.

He noted how the Green and Circular Economy concept demanded a fundamental change in current development thinking, opposing the dangers posed by the unsustainable methods to development in the past decades

Mr. Garbrah said, "Practically, it revolved around variations in production, consumption and lifestyle towards economic activities that use natural resources efficiently, enhance and preserve environmental quality, and remove social inequalities."

The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project is a four-year action from the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SNV Netherlands Development Organization and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

The project aimed at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to youth job seekers in two selected regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Western in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development.