Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Announces the Cookstoves Future Summit to Spur Investment in Clean Cooking

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves announced today that it will host the first ministerial- and CEO-level Cookstoves Future Summit: Fueling Markets, Catalyzing Action, Changing Lives in New York City, November 20-21, 2014. The Summit marks an important opportunity in the Alliance's efforts to prevent the more than 4 million deaths that occur every year from household air pollution caused by smoke from the use of open fires and traditional cookstoves. It is a critical time to invest in market-based solutions to increase the adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment.

The Summit will be co-chaired by the Honorary Chair of the Alliance Leadership Council and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Lynne Featherstone, Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh and USAID Administrator Raj Shah.  As part of this unprecedented private-public partnership, national governments, global corporations, United Nations agencies, NGOs, foundations, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and others will mobilize to accelerate market growth for the wide-scale adoption of clean cooking solutions.

"We need to keep the Alliance going and growing," said former Secretary Clinton. "Find more partners; expand the market; put more stoves in the hands of consumers; save more lives. That's what the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is all about, and that's why I will continue to be an enthusiastic supporter and partner."

At the Summit, the Alliance will transition from successfully establishing global and in-country markets in Phase 1, to driving investment and innovation to rapidly scale market-based solutions. It will seek to secure grant, investment and in-kind commitments of approximately $500 million to meet the needs of the Alliance and the broader clean cooking sector during the second phase. 

Cooking smoke is a silent killer. It is the fourth worst risk factor for disease in developing countries, particularly among women and young children who spend much of their time near open fires or traditional cookstoves. What's more, this type of cooking greatly damages the environment, emitting carbon dioxide and other pollutants at levels up to 100 times higher than the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization. Today, clean cooking technologies and fuels exist to solve this problem, but access to clean and affordable solutions remains limited, especially in the most vulnerable communities. Launched in 2010, the Alliance has made substantial progress toward its goal of 100 million households adopting clean cooking solutions by 2020.

"During our first four years, the Alliance has enabled over 20 million households to adopt cleaner and more efficient cookstoves, while leveraging significant grant and investment resources and partnerships for the sector at large," said Radha Muthiah, executive director for the Alliance. "We are on target to reach our goal of 100 million households adopting clean cooking solutions by 2020. Now is the time for a strong renewed commitment of political and financial will and resources from the global community to scale the adoption of  clean, safe, and efficient household cooking solutions."

During the Cookstoves Future Summit, the Alliance, in concert with its 1,000 partners, will seek to secure financial and in-kind commitments to invest in the clean cookstoves and fuels market and bring them to scale. Participants will commit to concrete financial, policy, and programmatic actions to grow the clean cooking sector. Additionally, the Alliance will release the strategic roadmap for Phase 2 of the Initiative.

The one and a half day Summit will include an exhibit area for participants to view clean cookstoves and fuels, and learn more about clean cooking technologies.

For more information on the Cookstoves Future Summit, visit the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves website:  www.cleancookstoves.org.

About the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves:
The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a public-private partnership hosted by the United Nations Foundation to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. The Alliance's 100 by '20 goal calls for 100 million households to adopt clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020. The Alliance is working with its public, private and non-profit partners to help overcome the market barriers that currently impede the production, deployment, and use of clean cookstoves in developing countries. For more information, please visit www.cleancookstoves.org.

SOURCE Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves