At COP29 in Azerbaijan, the African Union (AU) and the United Republic of Tanzania will be part of forces in a high-level aspect occasion to make clear cooking a central a part of the worldwide local weather agenda.
The occasion, “Addressing Clear Cooking Challenges in Africa: A Name for African Management,” will happen on 12 November 2024, from 15:30 to 17:00 on the Africa Pavilion Blue Zone, H11.
As African nations proceed to develop economically and urbanize, the necessity for clear cooking options is extra urgent than ever with 70% of the inhabitants nonetheless counting on conventional, cooking strategies. The high-level gathering will carry collectively African leaders, policymakers, and worldwide stakeholders to deal with the clear cooking challenges and spotlight the pressing want for political management, progressive partnerships, and substantial monetary funding to attain sustainable, clear cooking options throughout Africa.
Daring Management and Motion in Africa
Africa has lengthy been on the forefront of the local weather dialog, and African nations at the moment are taking daring and decisive steps to deal with the clear cooking problem. The African Union, by way of its African Clear Cooking Program (ACCP), has already positioned clear cooking excessive on the continental agenda, recognizing it as an important part of each local weather motion and sustainable improvement.
The AU’s Clear Cooking Program (ACCP) focuses on growing entry to scrub cooking options, decreasing dangerous emissions, bettering public well being, and fostering innovation in cooking applied sciences throughout Africa. This program is integral to attaining the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a affluent, built-in, and peaceable Africa.
The United Republic of Tanzania has emerged as a number one advocate for clear cooking in Africa, underscoring the significance of gender-inclusive approaches to addressing vitality and local weather challenges. In 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the Girls Clear Cooking Assist Programme (AWCCSP) at COP28, a pioneering initiative aimed toward elevating consciousness, creating partnerships, and mobilizing monetary sources to scale clear cooking options.
A number of African nations have made clear cooking a nationwide precedence. Ghana, for instance, has made vital strides in selling Liquefied Petroleum Fuel (LPG) as a cleaner different, with a notable 36% improve in LPG use. Moreover, 30% of households now use improved cookstoves, reflecting progress in enhancing vitality effectivity in cooking. Equally, Kenya has been increasing its LPG utilization, with 2.4 million folks transitioning to reasonably priced and secure LPG cooking options.
Clear Cooking and Local weather Targets: A Important Hyperlink
Clear cooking has the potential to be a key local weather answer, providing emissions reductions of as much as 1.5 gigatons by 2030 and contributing about 10% of the focused doubling of vitality effectivity enhancements.
The transition to scrub cooking is a essential component of Africa’s local weather mitigation and adaptation methods. By integrating clear cooking into nationwide and regional local weather motion plans, African nations are accelerating efforts to fulfill their local weather commitments and make substantial progress towards attaining Sustainable Improvement Purpose 7 (reasonably priced and clear vitality for all). Clear cooking options additionally contribute to SDG 3 (good well being and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 13 (local weather motion), showcasing the interconnectedness of those world targets.
The Launch of a Key Publication: “Sustainable Scaling: Assembly the Clear Cooking Problem in Africa
Throughout the COP29 occasion, the African Union Power Fee (AFREC) will launch a publication, “Sustainable Scaling: Assembly the Clear Cooking Problem in Africa.” This publication supplies a complete roadmap for scaling clear cooking applied sciences throughout Africa, highlighting the progressive options, financing mechanisms, and coverage frameworks essential to speed up the transition to cleaner cooking.
The report stresses the necessity for progressive financing fashions, together with public-private partnerships, to unlock the funding required to scale clear cooking options and obtain common entry to scrub cooking by 2030.
The publication additionally requires stronger coverage coordination and political will throughout African governments to combine clear cooking into nationwide vitality and local weather plans.
By elevating clear cooking to the very best ranges of political decision-making, African nations can create an enabling atmosphere for innovation, funding, and sustainable improvement.
A Platform for African Management and World Partnerships
The high-level aspect occasion at COP29 shall be an essential platform for African leaders to interact with worldwide companions, multilateral organizations, and personal sector companions. It is going to present a novel alternative to showcase African management in driving options to world local weather challenges, with clear cooking as a cornerstone of Africa’s response to the local weather disaster.
By way of the AWCCSP and different initiatives, African nations are demonstrating that they don’t seem to be solely dedicated to addressing the clear cooking disaster however are additionally taking daring steps to make sure that clear cooking is on the centre of the continent’s local weather agenda.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).