Bamboo as a nature-based solution for sustainable energy and carbon offsetting in Ghana: opportunities, barriers, and policy pathways

Sub-Saharan Africa's dependence on wood charcoal for cooking drives rapid deforestation and contributes to climate change while exposing populations to indoor air pollution. This study explores bamboo as a sustainable woodfuel alternative for Ghana through mixed-methods research: literature review, 44 stakeholder interviews, and field surveys in three regions. Ghana hosts 24 bamboo species (9 local, 15 exotic), with Bambusa vulgaris comprising 75% of local resources. Bamboo offers strong fuel properties, high calorific value (17.24-17.84 GJ/kg), low ash (0.9-2.90%), and rapid growth, yet adoption is limited by perceived poor quality, weak policy, and low technical capacity. Market analysis shows bamboo charcoal from B. vulgaris is perceived as fragile and ash-heavy, despite scientific evidence of quality. Harder species ( Bambusa balcooa, Bambusa beema ) and briquetting innovation address these concerns. Livelihood integration is promising: enterprises have trained 250 farmers and employed displaced miners. Ghana's 300,000 hectares bamboo could yield 0.9 million tons of charcoal annually, replacing 64% of wood use. Barriers include low awareness, absent policy, low technical skills and lack of standards. Ethiopia's success, offers a model. We recommend bamboo-specific policies, certification systems, promotion of harder species, and integration into climate and energy strategies to unlock carbon offset and sustainable development opportunities.