Better cookstoves for a better lifeIn Ghana, most families traditionally cook with wood or charcoal on inefficient stoves called "Coal Pots". High fuel consumption is one of the main causes of deforestation. In addition, charcoal is produced in a simple and emission-intensive way. The Gyapa Improved Cookstove Project replaces the traditional inefficient charcoal stoves with efficient Gyapa stoves. These stoves can absorb and store heat much better through ceramic cladding. As a result, they consume 50 to 60 percent less fuel and save cooking time.
In addition to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, the project makes everyday life easier for the population, for example by significantly improving air quality in the houses which benefits women and children in particular. Local manufacturing has led to Africa's largest production of cooking stoves in Ghana. More than 835,000 stoves have already been sold, making everyday life easier for over 4 million people in Ghana.
How improved cookstoves contribute to climate actionAccording to a statistic from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) around a third of the global population still relies on unsafe and environmentally harmful cooking methods. This includes, for example, cooking over open fires or using polluting cooking fuels, such as coal or kerosene. Improved cookstoves tackle this problem by using thermal energy more efficiently. Depending on the model, an improved cookstove can reduce fuel consumption by up to 70 percent, which significantly saves CO2 emissions and can lower the pressure on local forests as less firewood needs to be harvested.
Improved cookstove projects allow the distribution of the - often simple - devices made from metal or clay to households, small enterprises or community facilities. Especially for households, this has an impact beyond the CO2 reduction: better indoor air quality decreases respiratory diseases and families can save time and money as less fuel is needed. Improved cookstoves projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
