Policy Trends on Renewable Energy for Decentralised Electrification as a Catalyst for Achieving Goal Seven of the Sustainable Development Goals in sub-Saharan Africa. The Case of Ghana.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasises the quintessential role that energy plays in achieving the global sustainable development objectives. Renewable energy is vital to achieving many of the seventeen targets of Sustainable Development Goals. These, among others, include the ending of poverty; the ensuring of healthy lives and well-being for all; ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all; the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth; and taking urgent action on combating climate changes and its impacts (goals 1, 3, 4, 8, and 13). With its high rate of lack of access to electricity, national governments in sub-Saharan Africa are, through energy policies, encouraging the utilisation of renewable energy resources to improve electricity access in the region. This paper examines the current trends in policy framework for energy in light of the feasibility and promotion of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy to the rural population in Ghana. This paper argues that much of the emphases in promoting rural electrification in the policy framework should be put on educating the rural population on the benefits of having non-connected grid access to electricity. This will encourage its acceptance in those communities where the usefulness and significance of decentralised electrification from renewable energy sources are highlighted the most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]