Core area “Climate and energy, just transition” Securing a sustainable energy supply

    Although Ghana has a remarkable level of electrification (86.3 per cent) compared with other countries in the region, high energy costs and frequent power failures constitute a significant development constraint for businesses and private households. In order to increase the country’s energy security and support efforts to achieve a transformation towards broad-based, sustainable and diversified growth, Germany and Ghana are working together in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

    A young African farmer installs a solar panel on the roof of his house on a cashew farm.

    A young farmer installs a solar panel on the roof of his house on a cashew farm.

    The central focus of this cooperation is on implementing a forward-looking renewable energy act. To that end, Germany is supporting the use of solar energy, for example. A solar power station supported by German funding began operating in 2020 and supplies around 32,000 households with electricity. As a result, around 12,500 tonnes of CO2 are now being saved each year.

    Impacts: Between 2014 and 2020, more than 16,000 households and small businesses took part in energy efficiency training. Nearly half of them were able to reduce their energy consumption – by an average of 20 per cent.


    Sustainable urban development / recycling

    Growing wealth, changing patterns of consumption and illegal imports of waste are causing more and more waste to be present in Ghana, especially electrical and electronic waste. For the most part, this waste is currently processed and recycled at informal dumps. The methods used – for example, burning off the isolation on cables – have a very detrimental impact on waste pickers’ health and on the environment.

    At a landfill site in Ghana's capital Accra, old electrical appliances are incinerated to produce recyclable metal.

    At a landfill site in Ghana's capital Accra, old electrical appliances are incinerated to produce recyclable metal.

    Germany is supporting the establishment of proper recycling and waste disposal systems and the development of economically viable business models for the sustainable processing of electronic waste. This also helps to improve the working conditions and livelihoods of people in the informal sector who work at the dumps.

    For example, through German development cooperation, assistance is being provided to help scrap dealers organise themselves in associations, and the establishment of an umbrella organisation for the recycling industry is being supported as well. Furthermore, the Ghanaian authorities are being supported in their efforts to set up and implement a recycling fund, which is intended to facilitate the sustainable financing of recycling activities.

    Another area of German engagement is avoiding plastic waste in Ghana. Together with businesses and other players, circular economy models are to be elaborated and tested. One important partner is the international PREVENT Waste Alliance.

    As at: 27/10/2023