Ghana became the first African country to trade carbon credits under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. On 8 July the country transferred verified emissions reductions to Switzerland from a clean cookstove project, and experts from both countries assessed the credits.
The cookstove project supplies cleaner stoves to rural households. The stoves reduce fuel use, lower indoor smoke and create local jobs. Users said they saved money and cooking time. Ghana set up an international carbon market framework in 2020 and won government approval in 2022. The market now has many proposed projects, including more cookstoves, electric vehicles and solar schemes.
Difficult words
- carbon credit — a permit representing one tonne reduced emissionscarbon credits
- verify — to check and confirm that something is trueverified
- emission reduction — less pollution released into the airemissions reductions
- framework — a system of rules and structures
- propose — to suggest a plan or ideaproposed
- cookstove — a stove made to use less fuel and smokecookstoves
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Discussion questions
- Which benefit of the cleaner cookstoves (less fuel, less smoke, jobs, or time saved) would matter most to people you know? Why?
- How might selling carbon credits help a country like Ghana? Give one simple reason.
- What other projects would you like to see in an international carbon market for rural areas?
