Sustainably Reducing Emissions and Reaching the Poor: Gyapa Improved Cook Stoves – Ghana

This project involves producing and selling clean-burning, fuel-efficient Gyapa cook stoves to people in Ghana. Since the stove was designed with Ghanaians in mind, the cook does not have to adjust his/her cooking style to use it. Yet the stoves are twice as efficient as traditional cooking methods which helps reduce deforestation. Large scale Gyapa production is also providing jobs, which spills over into other community benefits.

Fast facts:

More than 600,000 stoves sold to users by the end of 2013 ;
350 kilograms of charcoal saved by users of the Gyapa stove per year;
More than one million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent reduced between 2008 and 2013;
$3 million to reach 2.4 million beneficiaries, who have saved more than $36 million since 2007.

The problem

Ghana has the highest rate of deforestation in Africa. A significant factor in this is the use of wood and charcoal for cooking, the burning of which also produces a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Charcoal is the predominant cooking fuel in Ghana, accounting for more than three-quarters of domestic energy consumption. But wood is becoming increasingly scarce, and coal is thus becoming more expensive.

The solution

Fuel-efficient, clean-burning Gyapa stoves – designed to meet Ghanaian cooking styles and to be used with their preferred fuel – are being produced and sold to people in Ghana on a large scale and over a multi-year plan. Ceramists and manufacturers are trained in the production of Gyapa stoves. The stoves are currently being manufactured and sold across southern Ghana, and are being slowly expanded to rural communities in the north, integrating the arid and destitute Sahel region.

The project is funded by carbon finance, which succeeded in transforming the project from a grant-funded initiative to a self-financed enterprise.

Helping the planet

The clean-burning stoves’ substantiated reduction of greenhouse gasses considerably mitigates climate change. Furthermore, since the stoves are made entirely from locally-sourced recycled metal, there is no pressure to extract new natural resources for their production. The efficient stoves lead to a decrease in demand for charcoal, thus reducing deforestation.

Helping people

Gyapa stoves minimize the incidence of burns and reduce indoor pollution, leading to a safer and healthier cooking experience. Gyapa buyers save money on fuel, as these cookers are significantly more energy-efficient. This means families have more cash to spend on school fees, medical bills and buying nutritious food.

The project creates job opportunities, as the stoves are easy to produce and do not require any welding. The stoves also remain cheap enough for local families to afford. Gyapa stimulates local economies by facilitating sustainable businesses within the supply chain.

Scaling up

The number of Gyapa users is increasing every day. By supporting and facilitating the growth of the supply chain and production clusters, sales of Gyapa stoves have doubled since carbon funding was first introduced. Sales are poised to double again by the close of 2015.

Tapping the demand for improved stoves has great market potential. Market opportunities also remain for further expansion into local production clusters to ease entry into new markets, as well as continue to generate additional employment. Furthermore, the existence of similar market dynamics in other West African countries means that expansion outside of Ghana is highly possible.