Ghana Leads on Sustainable Energy for All

As the first developing country to engage with Sustainable Energy for All, Ghana is developing a national action plan to increase its renewable energy capacity and extend reliable energy access to all of its citizens.

A First in the Developing World

Ghana’s energy strategy sets a goal of renewable energy constituting 10 percent of national energy generation by 2020. To reach this goal, the Parliament passed the Renewable Energy Act, providing the legal and regulatory framework necessary for enhancing and expanding the country’s renewable energy sector. Ghana will also promote the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is a cleaner fuel than firewood and charcoal. Smoke inhalation from traditional cookstoves and open fires—the primary means of cooking and heating for nearly three billion people in the developing world—causes nearly 2 million premature deaths annually, with women and young children the most affected. Finally, to improve its national electric grid, the country is implementing a National Electrification Scheme to provide universal access to electricity by the year 2020. Since its enactment in 1989, Ghana has delivered power to more than 4,000 communities and delivered electricity to more than 67% of its population, up from 25% in 1989. The energy objectives established by Ghana represent an important example of country-led action that will advance the objectives of Sustainable Energy for All, and in doing so, increase renewable energy development, improve access to modern energy services, and bolster economic output.