Molly Brown (2nd L), Daniel Addo, Country Manager (2nd R), Humaima Ismail (M), a customer with other BURN Manufacturing officials during a field visit
BURN, West Africa’s largest clean cooking company, is stopping at nothing as it remains at the forefront of driving sustainable energy solutions and carbon market development in Ghana and the rest of the sub-region.
The Head of Carbon Strategy at BURN, Molly Brown, made this known in an interview while sharing updates on the company’s progress over the past year and its commitment to ensuring that families in the sub-region feel the impact of BURN’s contribution to clean cooking.
BURN, a key driver of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) started with an improved cookstove project in 2021 and has since launched an electric pilot programme in May 2024, providing improved stoves to households across West Africa.
Speaking on the company’s growth and Ghana’s effort in the ecosystem, Ms. Brown said, “What’s been really exciting is the progress we’ve made with the carbon market. Ghana is really leading the world with its carbon market development, and the framework that came out in December 2022, has been the best so far.”
In addition to Ghana’s robust carbon regulations, the country also recently signed a bilateral deal with Singapore, which will unlock new opportunities for investment and carbon credits trade.
Stressing the importance of the bilateral agreement, Ms. Brown explained, “The agreement with Singapore means that Singaporean companies can invest in carbon projects in Ghana, such as solar panel installations, and then export the generated carbon credits back to Singapore.”
She further noted that BURN is hoping to scale up its electric stove pilot in Ghana, with plans to assemble the products locally. This move will provide job opportunities and further reduce unemployment and poverty in the country.
On what the company is doing to provide affordable products to Ghanaians, she informed that BURN is looking to raise about $40 million in subsidies via a flexible financing model designed to make the electric stoves more affordable to families, who can then pay for them in small, weekly installments.
Priced at GH¢1,500, the stoves can be purchased with an initial payment of GH¢150, with the remaining balance spread over 50 weeks. This will help save families money in the long run and ensure they’re using cleaner, safer stoves while contributing to Ghana’s green energy transition.
With the BURN stove contributing to the reduction of indoor air pollution, resulting in a decrease in respiratory diseases, headaches, and itchy eyes, the company’s goal is to make the transition to clean cooking as accessible and affordable as possible for communities across West Africa.
BURN is focused on building a brilliant, efficient stove with low emissions and high safety features, and now, with the support of the Singapore partnership, they can leverage international funding to scale up their impact and make a real difference in people’s lives.
BURN’s energy-efficient stoves, while significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels, provides cleaner energy alternatives for everyday use, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4.46 tons per annum.
This innovation not only cuts down on carbon emissions but also protects the environment, enhances health, and is cost-effective for homes. BURN stoves allow users to utilise a fraction of the charcoal, wood, gas, or electricity, thus conserving energy and environmental resources.
Additionally, as a carbon project developer, BURN generates carbon credits by preventing emissions from entering the atmosphere. These credits are then sold through bilateral agreements to companies seeking to offset their emissions.
High-emission countries in Europe and America often purchase these credits from countries in the Global South, such as Nigeria and Ghana, which have more forest cover. This practice leads to a reduction in the environmental impact, locally and globally.