Ghana Aims to Halve Household Carbon Emissions by 2030 – John Jinapor

In a bold move to reduce Ghana’s carbon footprint, Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, has unveiled an ambitious plan to increase clean cooking adoption to 50% by 2030. Currently, over half of Ghanaian households rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking, contributing significantly to carbon emissions, environmental damage, and health risks.

Speaking at the Clean Cooking Agenda workshop in Accra, Jinapor emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to clean cooking across the country. “Many Ghanaians lack access to clean cooking methods, which poses significant challenges for the environment, public health, and household economic well-being,” he said.

The government’s strategy involves promoting local content, ensuring domestic production of LPG and clean cooking solutions, and implementing a comprehensive plan to deploy cookstoves, clean cooking technologies, and infrastructure. Collaboration with stakeholders is crucial, and the Renewable Energy Investment and Green Transition Fund will play a key role in driving this initiative.

Ghana’s push for clean cooking is part of a broader global effort to address the challenges of cooking with polluting fuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2.4 billion people worldwide lack access to clean cooking solutions, resulting in 3.7 million premature deaths annually.

By transitioning to cleaner energy sources, Ghana aims to reduce household carbon emissions by 50% within the next five years. This initiative is a vital step towards mitigating climate change, improving public health, and promoting sustainable development.

Key Highlights of Ghana’s Clean Cooking Initiative:

50% clean cooking adoption target by 2030
Promoting local content and domestic production of LPG and clean cooking solutions
Comprehensive plan to deploy cookstoves, clean cooking technologies, and infrastructure*
Collaboration with stakeholders and support from the Renewable Energy Investment and Green Transition Fund