Dutch government supports Clean Cook stoves

 

The Dutch Government is sponsoring Ghana Alliance for Clean Cook stoves and Fuels (GHACCO) to undertake a four-year (2016-2020) evidence- based advocacy programme at Ejisu-Juaben in the Ashanti Region.

The Clean Cooking and Fuels project is entitled: “Voice for Change (V4C) Partnership Programme.”

The V4C is being implemented by The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) in collaboration with GHACCO which represents stakeholder platform catalysing the revolution and adoption of Clean Cooking Technologies and Fuels in Ghana.

The overall purpose of the project is to promote access to clean and affordable cooking stoves and fuel solutions for households and institutions in Ghana.

It is implemented in a way to ensure that clean cooking becomes a major impetus that focuses on improvement in climate change, environment and health through reduction on Household Air Pollution (HAP), which contributes to green-house gas emissions.

This was disclosed to GNA by the National Co-coordinator of GHACCO Mr. Raymond Kusorgbor at Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Assembly after a  two-day programme to help enhance issues of clean cooking and traditional open fire.

It was attended by various actors comprising of chiefs, queen mothers and assemblymen as well as district coordinating management members and development planning sub-committee members.

Mr. Kusorgbor said the use of traditional cook stoves posed a number of health risks including eye, throat, and respiratory diseases.

He said the improved cook stoves and LPG could create livelihoods for women and the youth, as well as promote economic development of the district while the promotion of the product could open districts to donor support and partnerships in the areas of clean cooking, climate change, environmental protection and health, among others.

He said the reliance on traditional cook stoves encouraged deforestation and climate change and also detrimental to women and children in terms of health, time spent on wood collection and school attendance, among others.

Mr. Kusorgbor gave the assurance that GHACCO was ready to assist Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to accelerate the awareness campaign in respect of the need to adopt improved clean cooking technologies and fuels like “cook bags, biogels, stoves and LPG, pellets and briquettes”.

He appealed to the assemblies to mainstream clean cooking into their medium term development plan since there were no district level programmes related to clean cooking activities.

He called on the assemblies to support clean cooking businesses by exempting improved cook stoves and LPG from the district level taxes or market tolls.

He said they must also develop awareness programmes to support clean cooking businesses by lobbying local financial institutions to lend to clean cooking businesses as well as establish a district level framework for the promotion of the product.


Mr. Paa Kwesi Simons, the Head of Planning at the Ejisu-Juaben Municipal Assembly, expressed gratitude to SNV and GHACCO for the project with its enormous health, economic and environmental benefits.

He assured them of the readiness of the Assembly to support the clean cooking project and will reflect in the medium term development plan.

GNA/GBCONLINE