Ghana’s charcoal industry remains a crucial component of both domestic energy consumption and international trade, with more than 56 percent of households depending on it for cooking.
In addition to meeting local demand, the country exports substantial amounts of wood charcoal, strengthening its economic connections with markets in the Middle East and Europe.
To promote sustainable production and adherence to environmental standards, the Energy Commission oversees charcoal exports through a structured licensing system.
Mr. John Yeboah, senior manager for renewable energy regulations at the Energy Commission, explained that these guidelines are designed to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and the continued production of charcoal.
” If you want to go into the production of charcoal for the export market, you need a license from the energy commission. Energy commission, when giving you a license, will give you guidelines as to what to do with the license. And they have to work in line with the guidelines that come with the license,”
“Also, anybody who is in the business of charcoal production for export has to think about the efficiency and sustainability of the industry. So they have to use the recommended methods in improved carbonization technologies that we have given them so that they can produce more efficiently and minimize the use of wood and then minimize the production of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.”
