76% Ghanaians without access to clean fuel and technologies -survey

As Ghana marks the International Day for energy, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has provide updates data to track progress towards achieving SDG 7 in the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) report.

The International Day of Clean Energy which is commemorated annually on 26th January is to  raise awareness of the benefits of clean energy.

In a statement issued and signed by GSS noted that in every three in four persons about 76.4%in Ghana do not have access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, space heating and lighting.

“these report provides information for monitoring Ghana’s progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7”, it said.

“Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all”, the statement noted.

According to the statement, three in every four persons, 77.3% do not primarily rely on clean fuels and technologies for cooking, stating that, clean fuels and technologies for cooking include stoves and cookers using electricity, LPG, natural gas, biogas, solar, alcohol, or ethanol.

It further said, the percentage that does not have primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking is about 1.5 times higher in rural areas indicating 63.0% compared to urban 92.8%.

Regarding regional variation, the statement noted, in Greater Accra, 43.2% has the lowest percentage, and is the only region with less than half of the population without primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking.

“In the Western (70.3%) and Ashanti regions (73.5%) follow distantly. Savannah Region (98.6%) has the highest percentage of persons who do not primarily rely on clean fuels and technologies for cooking
followed by the North East (98.0%), and Upper West (96.7%) regions”, it added.

In all, it said nine regions have more than 90.0 percent of persons who do not primarily rely on clean fuels and technologies for cooking while persons in the highest wealth quintile have the lowest percentage of persons who do
not have primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking 21.7% about three times lower than the percentage of persons in the fourth wealth quintile 71.5%, the next highest.

It also said, more than 95.0 percent of persons in the lowest representing 99.5%,
second 98.7%, and middle 95.3% wealth quintiles do not have primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking.

Primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for lighting is almost universal 99.3%, similar in rural areas 99.1% compared with urban 99.5%.

“Clean fuels and technologies for lighting include electricity, solar lanterns, rechargeable or battery-powered flashights, torches and lanterns, and biogas lamps”, it said.

The statement further said, the region recording the lowest primary reiance on clean fuels and technologies for lighting is Northern which represents 98.8%.

“More than 99.0 percent of persons across all wealth quintiles have primary
reliance on clean fuels and technologies for lighting.”, it noted.

Source: Eric Nii Sackey