Cameroonians Shift Toward Clean Cooking Solutions with Eco-Charcoal

• Eco-charcoal briquettes, made from organic waste like coconut husks and plantain peels, are gaining traction in Cameroon as a cleaner alternative to traditional wood charcoal.
• Traditional wood charcoal production is a leading cause of deforestation in Cameroon, which has lost over 2 million hectares of tree cover since 2001.
• Inadequate access to clean cooking fuels causes roughly 815,000 premature deaths annually across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Environmental and Health Impact

• Traditional charcoal production contributes significantly to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide and removing forests that would otherwise absorb emissions.
• Using eco-friendly briquettes provides household benefits:
  • Cleaner burning: Eliminates black smoke, reducing respiratory illness risks.
  • Cost efficiency: Prevents kitchenware from blackening, reducing cleaning expenses.
  • Waste management: repurposes materials like bamboo, corn stalks, and sawdust, which otherwise clog drainage systems and trigger flooding.

Government and Regulatory Context

• The 2024 Forestry Law aims to curb deforestation through stricter logging controls and better forest monitoring.
• International programs like REDD+ and FLEGT are being implemented to improve forest governance and reduce illegal timber trade.
• The Code of Hygiene and Sanitation (Law No. 92/020) provides the framework for managing solid waste, sanitation, and public health.

Future Outlook

• Under the National Energy Compact, Cameroon aims to increase the national clean cooking access rate from 23.4 percent to 40 percent by 2030.
• The government supports this sector through the National Prototype Support Fund, which has issued annual calls for project proposals since 2021 to assist producers in expanding market reach.