Ghana has been urged to fast-track the decarbonisation of its transport sector to unlock clean energy benefits, strengthen its automotive industry, and meet global emission targets.
The call was made by the UK–Ghana Jobs and Economic Transformation (JET) Programme on Monday, January 26, to mark the International Day of Clean Energy, with an emphasis on aligning Ghana’s transition with Sustainable Development Goal 7 ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.
The JET Programme noted that Ghana is well positioned to leverage clean energy to drive industrial competitiveness, create quality jobs, and position itself as a leading automotive hub in West Africa.
It urged Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, as champion of the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP), and Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, to lead a coordinated national effort to accelerate the shift to cleaner transport.
“Progress on clean energy is critical not only to Ghana’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 under its Nationally Determined Contribution but also to addressing mounting public health and economic costs linked to transport emissions,” the statement read.
The transport sector remains one of Ghana’s largest sources of greenhouse gases, accounting for nearly half of all energy-related emissions, which rose by about 15% between 2015 and 2023.
The rise is driven by fossil fuel dependence, an ageing vehicle fleet, and rapid urbanisation, factors closely tied to the country’s automotive landscape.
Air pollution has also emerged as a major public health concern, now ranking as the second leading cause of death in Ghana after HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. The economic cost of air pollution is estimated at $3 billion annually, or about 4% of GDP.
Speaking on the clean transport agenda, Terri Sarch, Development Director at the British High Commission in Accra, highlighted the potential of the automotive sector in advancing sustainable industrial growth.
“Ghana’s automotive sector has the potential to be a powerful driver of clean energy transition, industrial growth, and job creation,” Ms. Sarch said.
“This forms part of our partnership approach with Ghana accelerating cleaner transport, strengthening local manufacturing, and delivering inclusive, sustainable economic opportunities.”
Ghana currently operates an estimated 3.2 million vehicles, with an average vehicle age of 14 years. About 80% of the 100,000 vehicles imported annually are used cars many of them highly polluting.
Although electric vehicle (EV) adoption is rising, particularly among two- and three-wheelers, the shift toward a low-emission fleet remains slow and could take decades without deliberate intervention.
A 2025 mid-term review of the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) supported by the JET Programme revealed that the policy has already unlocked about $98 million in investment from global manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Kia, Nissan, and Hyundai, alongside local firms like Kantanka.
Seven vehicle assembly plants have been established with a combined annual capacity of 140,000 units, but domestic demand for new vehicles remains low, limiting the industry’s overall impact.
The JET Programme identified affordability as a key barrier, citing the lack of structured asset-backed vehicle financing and the dominance of cash-based purchases, which limit access to cleaner mobility solutions, particularly for lower-income Ghanaians.
Accelerating these actions, the programme said, would deliver cleaner air, safer roads, thousands of skilled jobs, and a more competitive manufacturing base while improving public health and environmental sustainability.
The International Day of Clean Energy, observed annually on January 26, was established by the United Nations to raise global awareness and mobilise collective action for a just and inclusive transition toward clean energy.
