The WACCA initiative is framed under one of the key components of the Energy Efficiency Program, Clean cooking fuels and stoves. At the ECOWAS regional level, most households (about 80%) still rely on traditional biomass as their primary cooking fuel. In several countries in the region, biomass-based fuels (wood fuel and charcoal) actually represent more than 90% of the household energy needs, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.  The use of biomass fuels in inefficient cooking devices results in the death of 250,000 people per year, mostly women and children under five, in the ECOWAS region from indoor-air pollution. This prevalent use of inefficient cookstoves and fuels is also one of the main causes of deforestation in the region.  

To tackle this situation, ECREEE and its partners established a regional clean cooking energy initiative called West Africa Clean Cooking Alliance (WACCA).

The principal goal of WACCA is to improve living conditions (economic, social and health) of the population of ECOWAS countries through an increased access to cleaner and more efficient cooking devices, sustainable biomass fuels and modern fuels, while reducing local (deforestation) and global (greenhouse gases emissions) environmental impacts.   

Three specific objectives are: 

• Promote the adoption of clean and efficient cooking devices and the dissemination of sustainable biomass fuels and modern fuels for all ECOWAS households.  
• Ensure quality and durability of the cooking devices disseminated in terms of environmental performance and public health in ECOWAS countries, quality and sustainability of the biomass fuels disseminated and quality and safety of the modern fuels disseminated; and  
• Introduce a suitable regional governance mechanism for consultation, coordination and financing to ensure a coordinated implementation of actions in the field of cooking energy. 

Completed

• Development and Adoption of a regional action plan for clean cooking energy in 2015.
• Innovation Business Development Fund for Cooking Energy Services initiated – supported the production and distribution of about 290,000 Improved Cookstoves.
• Supported the establishment of some National Clean Cooking Alliances.
• Developed National Clean Cooking Actions Plans for ECOWAS Member States.
• Development of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Materials on Clean Cooking Energy Services
• Practical training on construction of institutional stoves -WACCA Camp2 –2017, Accra, Ghana (27-31 March 2017)
• Donation of 300 cookstoves to 30 beneficiaries from 6 communities in Tankoro Chiefdom, kono District in Sierra Leone on December 27th, 2021.
• WACCA Camp on Training of Entrepreneurs on production and dissemination of Improved Cookstoves in Kono District in Sierra Leone, 14-21 July 2022
• Support Training of Entrepreneurs Women on production and dissemination of Improved Cookstoves in Kono District in Sierra Leone, 20-25 March 2023

Ongoing

• Process of Harmonization of the ECOWAS standard of bioethanol for cooking & the ECOWAS standard of biomass cookstove and adoption by the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS
• Provision of Clean Cookstoves to Communities in Eke Town in Enugu State and Ikene Town in Ogun State, Nigeria.
• Provision of Clean cookstoves to rural and peri urban communities in Togo

Under Preparation

• Implementation Regional Clean Cooking Action in West Africa (ReCCAWA) funded by European Union

The expected outcome include: 

• Universal access to clean, safe and affordable cooking energy by 2030, including: 
• 26% of LPG users  
• 100% of improved cookstoves (ICS) and/or sustainable biomass fuels users.  
• 3 billion tons of wood saved between 2012 and 2030.

Water and Energy Project for the Increase of Food Security and Socioeconomic Development. Promoting Clean Cooking Solutions and Solar Technologies.