Serwa Atiase Dzogbenuku, Partner, Technology and Transformation at Deloitte, has stated that energy efficiency is one of the most practical and impactful actions that organisations and individuals can take to manage costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking at a webinar titled “Driving Energy Efficiency: How Measuring Performance Can Lower Costs and Reduce GHG Emissions in Buildings”, She said there is a lot of uncertainty with factors beyond our control in the world of energy.

“However, there are certain factors we can control, and so we need to be intentional about energy efficiency”, she added.

Ing Seth Mahu, Director of Renewable Energy and Green Transition, Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, for his part, said Ghana is in a defining moment where the global energy systems and the geopolitical instability in the Middle-East have once again exposed the vulnerability in its energy systems and market.

“Fuel prices fluctuate overnight, supply chains have tightened and fiscal pressures are mounting, at the same time, climate impact continues to accelerate. For countries like Ghana, this reality indicates an important question; how do we build an energy system that is affordable, secured and resilient in an increasingly uncertain world”.

He continued that energy efficiency is not simply a technical option but an economic, security and climate strategy. “In Ghana, it has already proven its value and now must be elevated as a conduit of our energy transition and investment plan, especially in the built environment”.

He stated that Ghana has been deliberate in placing energy efficiency in the heart of energy policy, explaining that the energy policy of 2022 and the energy transmission framework both recognise that managing demand is just as important as expanding supply.

He pointed out that energy efficiency gains are not limited only to electricity, but clean cooking initiatives highlight how efficiency cuts across the entire energy economy. “Today, cooking accounts for more than 60% of Ghana’s final energy consumption, traditional cook stoves waste energy, degrade forest and expose households to severe health risks. Improved and clean stove programs now active across the country reduce fuel wood consumption by up to 60% per household”.

He concluded, saying, energy efficiency must be treated as infrastructure, planned, finance and government with the same seriousness as power plants and grids, must enforce polices.