The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in talks with government to ban the production and sale of charcoal in Ghana.
This according to the EPA will help Ghana reduce the emission of carbon dioxide as part of climate change mitigation methods set out in the climate change policy of the country.
Currently Ghana is emitting about 33.7 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is expected to go up to 79 million tons in the next 30 years.
The EPA fears if care is not taken climate change impact on the country will affect her fortunes.
According to the EPA, plans to ban charcoal production and sale in the country will help reduce the projected carbon emission by 30% and will be in line with the implementation of the national climate change strategy.
The National Focal Point on climate change education at EPA, Dr. Emmanuel Tachie Obeng, says deforestation through charcoal production is endangering the country’s environment.
He said about 80% of Ghanaians use charcoal and about 5.5% using (Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking, a situation he believes is worrying if government does not act quickly to ban the use and production of charcoal.
Dr. Obeng said the EPA is trying its best to ensure that about 30% of the population uses LPG, a move that he said Government has already started with the distribution of about 70,000 LPG cylinders to people under its rural LPG promotion project.
He said as global decision makers continue to debate the effects of climate change and seek ways to reduce Green House Gas emissions, LPG can offer significant near-term solutions.
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