THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON POTTERY PRODUCTION IN GHANA: A PERSPECTIVE STUDY OF INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY AND THE JUST ENERGY TRANSITION

Abstract

The traditional pottery industry in Ghana, a vital source of cultural heritage and livelihoods for many, operates at the critical intersection of cultural heritage, rural economic survival, and environmental vulnerability, including energy consumption. These dynamics pose significant sustainability challenges due to their reliance on resource-intensive production methods. The study examines the complex relationship from a multidimensional sustainability and industrial ecology perspective, focusing on divergent production hubs in Volta Region, Ashanti, Eastern, and Upper East. A qualitative approach grounded in a comprehensive 75-question survey instrument is utilised. The study adopts a microeconomic context for production and evaluates socio-cultural dynamics, resilience, and environmental impacts. Critical concerns from the survey point to deforestation and air pollution from traditional firing techniques, and to the long-term viability of the Ghanaian pottery sector. Through the lens of climate resilience practice and energy efficiency, support is proposed to move away from traditional methods towards a sustainable pathway that advances practitioners’ livelihoods. The findings reveal a severe "efficiency trap" characterised by high-emission, resource-intensive biomass firing, with thermal efficiencies ranging from 12.4% to 21.6%, alongside a demographic crisis in intergenerational knowledge transfer. To reconcile cultural preservation with modern decarbonisation imperatives, the paper presents a quantitative analysis of fuel consumption and environmental impacts to assess the adoption of cleaner energy technologies within the Just Energy Transition (JET) framework. This advocates targeted capital subsidies for technological innovation and institutional capacity-building. This will ensure the sector's viability for the female-dominated occupation in Ghanaian pottery production, while sustaining a fair transition for all stakeholders and preserving cultural identity and ecological health.