Ready or not: An assessment of energy transition willingness of marine fishing communities in Ghana towards the blue economy

Abstract

Given the evidence that eco-unfriendly cooking energy behaviours contribute to coastal ecosystem deterioration in Africa, this study examines the willingness of coastal communities to transition from such energy behaviours amidst the blue economy dialogue. The effects of economic conditions, locus of control, well-being concerns, and environmental attitudes are examined together with the mediating role of energy perceptions. Using structural equation modelling, we analysed data from 1076 households in Ghana's coastal marine fishing communities. The study statistics indicate that modern energy types are favourably perceived in coastal Ghana, with most respondents (above 50%) unwilling to transition. The regression results also reveal that energy perceptions influence energy transition willingness by a 0.268 (p<0.01) standard deviation and act as a mediator. Thus, economic conditions, locus of control, well-being concerns, and environmental attitudes were found to influence energy transition willingness by ‐0.038(p<0.01), ‐0.058(p<0.01), 0.057(p<0.01), and 0.039(p<0.01) standard deviations through perceptions, respectively. Significant differences were also found between heads and non-heads, adults and elders, males and females, and rural and urban groups. These findings underscore the importance of these socio-economic-environmental factors in promoting energy transition to mitigate further eco-unfriendly energy-related degradation of the coastal ecosystem, thereby enhancing readiness for Africa's blue economy.