A national sta
keholder consultation workshop has been organized by the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss Ghana’s National Appropriate Mitigation Actions on Sustainable Charcoal Development in Ghana. The workshop was held at Capital View Hotel in Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana which ended on 16th March 2016.
The Charcoal industry provides nearly 440,000 full time jobs in Ghana and estimated at about US$70 million. About 32% of households depends on charcoal for their energy needs. However the current production and distribution along the value chain is not sustainable since it is characterized by deforestation, high emissions level and low tech combustion technologies, unsustainable transportation systems and marketing processes. This results in declined feedstock, continuous degradation, increased CO2 emissions, endangered health of women and children, affected livelihoods, and continuous loss of potential revenue for the government.
The NAMA seeks to address these challenges to ensure the production of renewable charcoal reducing emissions along the value chain and improving efficiency. The value chain begins from the biomass feedstock supply through the carbonization process, distribution and marketing. Within the value chain are actors and regulators.
The NAMA is a voluntary mechanism for developing countries emerging from the Bali Action Plan. Involves national policies and strategies to reduce emissions. Its an opportunity to pursue sustainable development priorities and contributes to global GHG emissions reduction efforts.
The objectives of Ghana’s Renewable Charcoal NAMA includes:
1. sustainable and diversified feedstock through promotion and establishment of community based commercial woodlots managed through participatory resource management (PRM)
2. Promote the adoption of improved Carbonization technologies through manufacturing and / or importation of improved kilns and sustainable charcoal facilities
3. Ensure sustainable feedstock supply through facilitation of bulk transport.
3. Organize and modernize downstream charcoal market through capacity building for private sector charcoal businesses
A number of interventions and work packages will be adopted by government to ensure effective implementation of the Renewable Energy Charcoal including a proposed National Charcoal Control Board which is under discussion.
ISEES was privileged to participate in this national stakeholder consultation workshop to contribute in working group two on behalf of the Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GHACCO) in revising the final draft document.