In pursuit to reach developed nations status, living standards, water and energy consumption trends of the rich and industrial countries are being blindly adapted by the middle income to the elite in most of the developing countries of which sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is prominent. In the SSA region where large percentages of people have no access to portable water, electricity and live in bad environmental conditions, if the rich minority of the SSA population continues this blind adaptation, the poor would tend to copy and will thus pose serious threat to the region’s ecological integrity of human existence.
In the industrial countries where the infrastructure is adequately developed to manage the waste generated by building construction from their immediate communities and also address health issues arising from sick building syndromes, they have still resorted to encouraging green building design and construction. Guidelines, Checklists, principles and even forums had been formed in the developed countries like Germany, Britain, America and Sweden to address the issue of building ecologically responsive buildings and development due to the threat it poses to the environment whereas its practically absent in the SSA region. Although large populations in the SSA are struggling for daily survival and to make ends meet, the building industry and its professionals cannot look with apathy to the practices which are detrimental to sustainability with regards to the environment, economy and public health.
CLEAN-Africa

CLEAN-Africa seeks to address Waste management in African towns and cities beginning with Ghana. This will be done through educational programs and campaigns, establishment of environmental clubs to create awareness and influence the lives and attitudes of the people. We have identified that most of the environmental problems in Ghana today are as a result of the attitudes and perceptions of people in our communities towards the environment. These misguided perceptions should be changed. Systems should be put in place to remove waste from our communities. In fact the road to sustainable waste disposal and management may be tough and arduous but in order to ensure the safety of our environment on which life depends , all of us must work together to achieve this common goal.
Waste disposal is inseparable linked to the perceptions and attitude of people to environmental issues. Sound environmental education with corresponding actions will ensure a clean and sustainable environment. Environmental and sanitary conditions reflect in the health status in our communities. Systems should be put in place to keep waste from our communities

Poverty is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Despite the growth in the Northern Hemisphere, the gap between the poor and the rich keeps widening. It is estimated that 1.3 billion out of the over 6 billion people in the world live on less than US$ 1 per day (Human Development Report, 2002). The majority of these people are children, women, youths and refugees. Unfortunately, this number keeps growing as civil and international wars continue.

• Form strategic alliance with International Initiative for Sustainable Built environment (iiSBE) as a co-Sponsor of it activities world-wide to gain access to the Sustainable Building Information System (SBIS), Specific action includes the establishment of a website and R&D database accessible to researchers, policymakers and professionals around the world,
• Increase awareness of existing SBE initiatives and issues amongst the Authentic African and International  building professionals as well as the  construction community;
• Take action on fields not covered by existing organizations and networks (Life Cycle Analysis, Suitability Analysis for Development Projects.

• Set up a system that will help reduce the plastic menace (e.g. pure water sachets) on our streets and in our gutters
• Advocate for people, organizations as well as industries to be responsible for the waste they produce
• Challenge, educate, sensitize, as well as motivate  the youth and our communities to be responsible for the protection of the environment  through  establishment of environmental clubs and educational campaigns

Though Poverty Alleviation and Eradication would involve all Sectors, CLEAN-Africa will be working in the areas:

• Financial sector: Empower small and medium sized Enterprises overcome financial exploitation
• Educational sector: Support orphans and the disadvantaged to afford school education
• Health: Safe Water, Hygiene and Sanitation and HIV - AIDS