SNV Ethiopia launches clean cooking project

SNV Ethiopia together with the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) launched Strengthening Enabling Environment for Clean Cooking Sector of Ethiopia (SEECCS) project.

Strengthening Enabling Environment for Clean Cooking Sector of Ethiopia aims to strengthen the enabling environment of clean cooking sector of Ethiopia with interventions around support for organisational and institutional capacity development and sector facilitation, including for improved cook stoves, biogas and bio-fuel.

The project anticipates to contribute to develop a robust system to bring about public-private partnership and ultimately benefit the majority of Ethiopian poor families, particularly women and children who are suffering from indoor air pollution, perennial drudgery, deforestation and lately increasing climate change effects.

His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Koang Tutlam, State Minister, Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas and His Excellency Kebede Yemam, State Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have attended the launching event.

In his opening speech H. E. Kebede Yimam recalled the initiatives taken by the Ethiopian government to address the Climate Change issue. He explicitly mentioned about the Climate Resilient Green Economy and the improved cook stove investment plan that are aligned with this project. He also emphasised the cross cutting nature of the clean cooking issue mainly in relation to health, gender and education which assures the importance of coordination among different subsectors for better impact, increased communication and knowledge sharing.

Worku Behonegne, Country Director, SNV Ethiopia, also said that sector strengthening is an important, challenging but possible task. The clean cooking sector involves various players from the government and non-government portfolio except the private actors. “In addition, clean cooking isn’t only technology promotion but also setting standard, ensuring quality, developing the private sector, building the capacity of stakeholders, providing after sales service” Worku Behonegne.

Jan Willem Nibbering, EKN, Food Security Officer, in his key note address linked clean cooking to food security. Food security is about people being able to feed themselves. Not only providing themselves with sufficient quantities of food, but also ensuring the quality of their diet. “A good nutrition is effective if the food is processed and prepared in a safe manner. Clean cooking is a form of food safety and by extension a food security” added Jan Willem.

Samson Tolessa, Deputy Director, GIZ EnDev, in his key note address mentioned about GIZ’s engagement in the energy sector development in Ethiopia since 1998, the importance of clean cooking sector in Ethiopia, how it was perceived before and the current trend towards the issue. He also emphasised the importance of private sector development to sustainably promote the clean cooking sector.

SNV with the financial support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) of the Dutch Government has developed the project.

SNV Ethiopia has proven experience in conducting marketing trail for Awramba improved cookstove, Ethiopia-Berkeley Higher Efficient Stove and for the implementation Integrated Renewable Energy Services (IRES) are cases in point.

These pilot projects have contributed in the improvement of resilience of livelihood systems in rural, peri-urban and urban settings.