Group to support government achieve its renewable energy policy
The Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, had been launched in Accra to support government to achieve its renewable energy policy and climate change programmes.
The Alliance is made up of representatives of civil society (CSO), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), financial institutions, researchers, marketers and donor agencies.
It is aimed at bringing stakeholders together to promote coordination, information sharing, capacity building and develop a thriving local market for the cook stoves sector as well as improving fuel usage.
It is also to increase international awareness and recognition of the positive work achieved in the Ghanaian cook stove sector.
Mr Amagoin Keita, Country Director of the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), addressing the members, said it is important for stakeholders to come together to create synergies, reduce multiplication of efforts and enhance improvement in quality and capacity of the sector.
He encouraged the stakeholders to work together towards the development of the clean cook stoves sector and called on them to strengthen national, regional and local alliances to ensure that the programme reaches all the people in Ghana.
Mr Keita noted that to improve the energy efficiency of cooking by reducing exposure to wood and charcoal smoke, the SNV Ghana promotes the use of efficient and clean cook stoves.
Mr Kwabena Otu Danquah of the Energy Commission presented an overview of the cook stoves sector in Ghana and said wood-fuel accounts for over 70 percent of total primary energy supply.
He said the development of the improved cook stoves has the potential to reverse the depletion of the country’s forest resources by minimising the use of wood-fuel which causes diseases while generating employment and enhance technology transfer.
He stated that inadequate access to sufficient and efficient energy had several negative effects on livelihoods and deepens the poverty and climate change situation of the country.
Mrs Gifty Tetteh of the Ministry of Energy gave the assurance that government would collaborate with the Alliance to develop a database to reach out to all the stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions from open fires that affects the health of women.
Mr Lovans Owusu-Takyi, Coordinating Secretary of the Alliance expressed his appreciation to SNV Ghana, Trees for the Future, an NGO and youth volunteers for the environment for their support in organsing the Alliance.
Source: GNA