Participants held placards with inscriptions on environmental protection and climate change and distributed flyers to residents, ending the float with an aerobics session.

The celebration, which was on the theme "50 Years of Environmental Protection: Achievements, Challenges, and the Future," sought to promote public awareness of environmental degradation and measures put in place to curb this menace.

Mr. Kwabena Biritwum, Deputy Director, EPA, Greater Accra Region, stated that attitudinal challenges were at the core of non-compliance with environmental regulations.

Mr. Biritwum stated, "We already have what it takes to ensure compliance; the real issue lies with attitudes toward the environment."

He said that as regulators, they aimed to use awareness creation to educate citizens on their role in maintaining a clean and safe environment.
He noted that while progress had been made, emerging challenges such as plastic pollution and electronic waste still needed to be tackled.

Mr. Biritwum said, "Population growth has increased pressure on resources and the need for safe waste disposal; unfortunately, these factors have led to a general decline in environmental quality."
He emphasised the importance of compliance among industries and individuals, saying, "While some industries comply with environmental permits, others fall short.
He clarified that district assemblies were responsible for domestic waste management, while the EPA focused on regulating industries and commercial entities.

As the EPA looks to the future, Mr. Biritwum reiterated the agency's commitment to environmental sustainability through public education, stricter enforcement of regulations, and collaboration with stakeholders.

The agency started off as the Environmental Protection Council in 1974 and transitioned into the Environmental Protection Agency through the enactment of Act 490 in 1994.

The EPA has expanded over the years from 10 regional offices to 16 and several area offices to bring their services closer to the public.