AKOBEN is a programme that makes environmental law and administrative processes more accessible to communities that do not have the capacity to understand the legal system. It uses a five colour rating scheme to assess the performance of mining and manufacturing operations in a manner that is easily understood by the public. Ratings are annually disclosed to the general public and the media, and the disclosure aims to strengthen public awareness and participation about environmental issues as well as provide incentives for companies to comply with regulations and undertake good practices.
Disclosures from 2009 to 2012 are available on the website of GEPA. Of the sixteen mining companies rated in 2012, none received a gold rating (the highest rating), meaning that no company applied international best practices for environmental management and properly followed its corporate social responsibility policies. In contrast, seven companies in 2012 received a red rating (the lowest rating, meaning these companies do not have a valid permit or certificate as required by the Environmental Assessment Regulation LI 1652). An operation could also get a red rating if its: (1) emissions and effluents exceed the environmental quality standards for discharging toxics into the environment, or (2) on-site hazardous waste management practices cause serious risk to physical or human environments.
See the website for the programme: http://www.epaghanaakoben.org/.