* The Charcoal Project leads working group on “sustainable charcoal.”
* Initiative is the outcome of June symposium & workshop in Arusha
* Roadmap will lay out vision for moving sub-Saharan Africa towards sustainable charcoal
* Policy changes will be key
* Done right, well-managed forests can produce sustainable, carbon neutral charcoal and solid biomass fuels for domestic and productive energy.
The Charcoal Project will present a roadmap for sustainable charcoal production and consumption in Africa at a summit of the continent’s Energy Ministers next week in Johannesburg.
Charcoal, wood, and other solid biomass fuels account for more than 80% of Africa’s domestic energy consumption. However, studies show that the largely informal, billion dollar charcoal trade in sub-Saharan Africa results in negative impacts on the environment, fiscal revenue, energy security, and impedes low-carbon economic growth.
The Sustainable Charcoal Working Group (SCWG) was established in the aftermath of a workshop and symposium organized by The Charcoal Project and held during the annual conference in Arusha, TZ. of the Association of Tropical Biology & Conservation and the Society for Conservation Biology.
The immediate recommendations from the group are that nations must recognize and formalize the charcoal trade at national levels. This initial step will ensure governments can adequately track the role of charcoal in the domestic energy balance and the value of the trade at a national level.
Additionally, major technical advancements and capital investments in renewable energy have made charcoal and other solid biomass fuels an extremely competitive renewable fuel when compared to solar, wind, and hydro power.
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Hi i am working with sustainable charcoal project known as Dar es salaam charcoal project based in Rufiji district.It is a project funded by UK-Barclays bank.We are forming charcoal groups training them on governance,how to establish community tree nurseries,planting tree seedlings to village woodfuel plantantions,contruction and use of efficient kilns-Half orange Kilns(HOKs).Also we are working with Tanzania Forest Service(TFS) and District council on how we can develop sustainable charcoal certification.Indeed we are also supporting villagers to establish village forest reserve basing on Participatory Forest Management(PFM). Charcoal sector needs to be monitored as it is huge and also have a negative impact on environment.