Energy and low carbon development efforts in Ghana: institutional arrangements, initiatives, challenges and the way forward

Daniel Tutu Benefoh; Emmanuel Kofi Ackom; Daniel Tutu Benefoh; Emmanuel Kofi Ackom

doi:10.3934/energy.2016.3.481

AIMS Energy

2016, Volume 4, Issue 3: 481-503. doi: 10.3934/energy.2016.3.481

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Energy and low carbon development efforts in Ghana: institutional arrangements, initiatives, challenges and the way forward

Daniel Tutu Benefoh ¹,
Emmanuel Kofi Ackom ^{2
,
,}

1.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana. Energy Resources and Climate Change, Unit, P.O. Box M326. Accra.
2.
UNEP DTU Partnership, DTU Management Engineering, Denmark Technical University, Marmorvej 51, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.

Received: 31 December 2015 Accepted: 27 March 2016 Published: 01 April 2016

Over the years, Ghana has invested considerable effort and resources together with international partners to develop the energy sector and to mainstream energy low carbon pathways into national development plans. Low carbon development (LCD) provides a good opportunity, of not only building upon earlier energy and climate change local processes and structures but also help to mainstream low carbon agenda in economic activities and national development plans. For this to work however, require efficient institutions and effective institutional arrangements. Based on extensive literature analysis, personal communications and inputs from stakeholders, the paper highlights the key institutional arrangements, their interactions, challenges and proffers recommendations for improvements. To improve energy and low carbon development effort from the perspectives of institutional structures, would require, clearer institutional mandates, continuous improvements in institutional coordination (intra and inter), capacity and skills development, sustained visibility of the essence of energy and LCD at high political levels as well as engagement by civil societies. Equally important are the issues of finance, data availability and quality, monitoring and evaluation.
- Energy,
- low carbon development,
- institutional structures
Citation: Daniel Tutu Benefoh, Emmanuel Kofi Ackom. Energy and low carbon development efforts in Ghana: institutional arrangements, initiatives, challenges and the way forward[J]. AIMS Energy, 2016, 4(3): 481-503. doi: 10.3934/energy.2016.3.481

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Abstract

Over the years, Ghana has invested considerable effort and resources together with international partners to develop the energy sector and to mainstream energy low carbon pathways into national development plans. Low carbon development (LCD) provides a good opportunity, of not only building upon earlier energy and climate change local processes and structures but also help to mainstream low carbon agenda in economic activities and national development plans. For this to work however, require efficient institutions and effective institutional arrangements. Based on extensive literature analysis, personal communications and inputs from stakeholders, the paper highlights the key institutional arrangements, their interactions, challenges and proffers recommendations for improvements. To improve energy and low carbon development effort from the perspectives of institutional structures, would require, clearer institutional mandates, continuous improvements in institutional coordination (intra and inter), capacity and skills development, sustained visibility of the essence of energy and LCD at high political levels as well as engagement by civil societies. Equally important are the issues of finance, data availability and quality, monitoring and evaluation.

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