An investigation into the sustainability of the current fuels used for cooking in Ghana to inform future energy policies

 There  are  sustainability,  health  and  environmental concerns in many developing countries where the use of solid  fuels  for  cooking  in  poorly  ventilated  kitchens  is  a common   practice.   The   utilisation   of   solid   fuelsfor cooking  with  inefficient  cooking  stoves  accounts  for significant respiratory health issues and deforestationin Ghana.Significant policies and government initiatives in Ghana  have  been  adopted  to  mitigate  household  solid fuel consumption, substitutingit with increased access to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). But despite such policies, the  consumption  of  solid  biomass  fuel,  mainly  charcoal and firewood, is still prevalent in Ghana. To inform future energy policy, this study investigates the sustainability of cooking fuels utilised in Ghanaian households, to ensure an ecological balance and healthy living circumstances.A two-part survey was conducted between 2013 and 2019 forhouseholds  in  Ghanato  identify  and  investigate factors  influencing  household cooking  fuel  preferences. Regression    analysis    is    employed    to    explore    the relationship between the choice of selected fuel and key factors   such   as   fuel   cost,   availability,   region   and household   size.The   findings   suggest   that   fuel   cost, availability,   geographical   location   (urban/rural),   and household size act significantly as drivers to influence the selection  of  most  Ghanaian  cooking  fuel,  and  this  was found to be consistent over the studied period.