Clean cooking policy to promote sustainable energy — Minister

The government is set to introduce a National Clean Cooking Policy to promote sustainable energy solutions and address the country’s clean cooking deficit. 

The policy aims to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the population adopts clean cooking solutions by 2030.

The Minister of Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, who made this known at the National Stakeholder Policy and Strategy Workshop on clean cooking in Accra, stressed the need for a structured and coordinated approach.

“The country’s approach to clean cooking has, until now, been guided by scattered policy directives embedded within broader national policies.

There is currently no dedicated policy specifically designed to promote clean cooking along the entire value chain,” he said.

“This gap has made it difficult to implement coordinated interventions that address the challenges comprehensively,” he added.

Event

The workshop, organised by the ministry, is the first of three regional engagements designed for the southern, northern and middle belts to ensure inclusivity, foster region-specific insights and also incorporate diverse perspectives into the country's clean cooking roadmap.

The programme is to ensure participants review, refine and align the country’s clean cooking strategy with global best practices, while addressing local challenges and opportunities to ensure successful implementation.

Policy

Mr Jinapor said the ministry, in collaboration with key stakeholders, had proposed the formulation of a National Clean Cooking Policy (NCCP) to streamline and coordinate efforts.

The policy, he said would serve as a structured framework for clean cooking promotion, ensuring a more effective and organised approach to adoption.

“It will also support the development of a diversified energy mix, local industry development participation, regulatory and fiscal incentives and public awareness campaigns, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms,” he added.

Mr Jinapor said the Energy Commission (EC) is leading the revision of the National Clean Cooking Strategy (NCCS) and the accompanying Investment Prospectus (IP), to provide an implementation roadmap efforts to ensure the country meets its clean cooking objectives.

Challenges

Mr Jinapor said approximately 60 per cent of Ghanaians continued to rely on traditional fuels such as firewoods and charcoal, a situation that poses serious environmental, health and economic challenges.

He said that the government was taking a coordinated approach to tackle these issues, ensuring that clean cooking solutions become more accessible and affordable for households.

“As part of our green transition agenda, we will integrate this policy into our renewable energy investment strategy and the Green Transition Fund,” the minister said.

The Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission of Ghana, Eunice A. Biritwum, said over the years, the commission had collaborated with key stakeholders in establishing regulatory structures that enhanced the credibility of the country’s cookstove sector, thereby attracting increased investment.

She said the commission was planning towards a fully regulated cookstove and fuel market, set for November 2025, where the country will begin implementing a standards-enabling scheme for improved biomass cookstoves.

Mrs Biritwum thanked the World Bank for its support in assisting the government to develop a comprehensive clean cooking policy and strategy.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Linda Asante, on behalf of the CEO, reiterated the authority’s commitment to supporting the government’s clean cooking agenda, ensuring that LPG and other clean cooking technologies become affordable, accessible and widely adopted across Ghana.

She said the NPA planned to expand the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM), which is a key strategy for increasing LPG penetration.

The Senior Energy Expert at the World Bank, Maame Tabuah Ankoh, said the bank was committed to supporting the country’s universal energy access goal, particularly through its involvement with institutions such as the Ministry of Energy, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Energy Commission.