Leapfrogging inequality? Navigating a pathway to cleaner energy in rural Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorBoateng, Dickson
dc.contributor.authorLennon, Breffní
dc.contributor.authorBloomer, Julian
dc.contributor.authorMorrissey, John
dc.contributor.authorDunphy, Niall
dc.contributor.funderUniversity of Limerick, UL
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-07T13:50:05Z
dc.date.available2026-05-07T13:50:05Z
dc.date.issued2026-04-22
dc.description.abstractDespite progress toward SDG7, many people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are projected to remain without access to clean energy by 2030 unless drastic measures are taken. Existing studies have largely focused on technological innovation in the Global North, producing a techno-centric bias that overlooks the complexities of energy access in non-Western contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining energy transitions in rural Ghana through the Political Ecology framework for Sustainable Energy Transition (PESET)—an integrated analytical model that synthesises energy justice, political ecology, and inclusive innovation. It provides novel empirical insights into how context-specific factors influence clean energy adoption and reinforce existing inequalities. Through a reflexive thematic analysis of 43 qualitative key informant interviews, the study reveals the multidimensional nature of energy transitions and challenges dominant techno-centric paradigms by demonstrating how structural inequalities and power asymmetries shape participation, access, and outcomes in the transition process. The analysis identifies four adoption barriers (cost, availability, behavioural resistance, and limited awareness), four forms of exclusion (process, consumption, impact, and structural), and three dimensions of energy injustice (distributive, recognition, and procedural) that intersect to constrain a sustainable transition. Building on these insights, the study proposes a holistic pathway to support a more equitable and sustainable energy transition, offering actionable policy guidance and contributing to progress toward SDG7 in rural Ghana.en
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work has supported by the Department of Geography, Mary Immaculate, University of Limerick . Additional assistance to cover field data expenses was provided by the Geographical Society of Ireland.
dc.description.versionPublished Version
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.articleid148231
dc.identifier.authororcidBoateng, Dickson
dc.identifier.authororcidLennon, Breffní§0000-0002-9957-5765
dc.identifier.authororcidBloomer, Julian
dc.identifier.authororcidMorrissey, John
dc.identifier.authororcidDunphy, Niall§0000-0001-8094-4121
dc.identifier.citationBoateng, D, Lennon, B, Bloomer, J, Morrissey, J & Dunphy, N 2026, 'Leapfrogging inequality? Navigating a pathway to cleaner energy in rural Ghana', Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 557, 148231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.148231
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.148231
dc.identifier.issn0959-6526
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Cleaner Production
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-9957-5765/work/214041255
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18730
dc.identifier.volume557
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier Ltd
dc.relation.urihttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035167538
dc.rights© 2026, the Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
dc.rights.accessrightsopen access
dc.rights.licensenameAttribution 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.statusPeer reviewed
dc.subjectEnergy access
dc.subjectEnergy transition
dc.subjectExclusion
dc.subjectInjustice
dc.subjectRural Ghana
dc.subjectSustainability
dc.subject[EngineeringArchitecture]
dc.subject[SustainabilityInstitute]
dc.titleLeapfrogging inequality? Navigating a pathway to cleaner energy in rural Ghanaen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)
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