Workshop on Access to Clean Cooking in Asia and The Pacific

DATE & TIME
Thursday, 29 October 2020
VENUE
Virtual
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BACKGROUND

Further setbacks in achieving the SDGs have been feared due to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) this year. But, achieving universal access to clean cooking is a necessary action to achieve not only affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all (SDG 7), but also healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages (SDG 3) and readiness to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13). Continuing and accelerating the efforts in the provision of clean cooking, will decrease indoor air pollution, help households avoid respiratory diseases, contribute to allaying the future impacts of natural disasters and calamities, and support in developing the resilience of countries' renewable energy systems.

OBJECTIVE

1. Present and discuss the current status, issues, challenges and barriers in accelerating access to clean cooking in the Asia-Pacific region—including issues related to indoor air pollution and its impacts on the health and environment.
2. Share best practices and appropriate innovative clean cooking solutions – innovative clean cooking technologies and business models.
3. Discuss the critical function of governments in crafting supportive policies and roadmaps that would create a conducive and enabling market environment for the adoption of clean cooking technologies and share relevant policies and programs already being implemented in the region as case studies.
4. Present and discuss current financing models and cases in place to assist in the scaling-up of implementation of access to cooking programs and projects.

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Provision of clean cooking for the rural and urban-poor population will alleviate the plight of women—who often bear the brunt of household work—and children, who both suffer more from the health consequences of indoor air pollution. Household air pollution is attributable to cooking and heating practices using solid fuel (wood, charcoal, coal, dung, crop wastes) on open fires or traditional stoves. These produce harmful air pollutants such as fine particulates, toxic smoke as well as climate change-inducing gases like black carbon. According the World Health Organization, household air pollution causes noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. As such, access to clean fuels and technologies such as clean cookstoves reduces exposure to indoor air pollutants and health risks including death.

Recognizing the critical gap between the SDG7 target by 2030 of achieving universal access to clean cooking, and the current low access and slow progress toward the goal, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), through its Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence (SECOE), and SEforALL, will undertake a workshop focusing on access to clean cooking. Knowledge gained from the experts. The case studies add an element of experiential learning on various topics which may not be mainstream in some countries.

AGENDA

Session 1:

Accelerating Access to Clean Cooking in the Asia and Pacific Region: Status and Major Issues

Moderator: Mr. Michael Williamson, Section Chief, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Speakers:

  • Prof.Ed Brown, Research Director, MECS, Loughborough University

 

  • Dr. Kee-Yung Nam, Principal Energy Economist, Asian Development Bank

Session 2:

Best Practices on Innovative Clean Cooking Technologies

Moderator: Mr. Michael Williamson, Section Chief, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Speakers:

  • Ms. Karuna Bajracharya, Country Manager, Clean Cooking Alliance, Nepal

 

  • Ms. Neha Juneja, Co- founder & CEO, Greenway Appliances

 

  • Mr. Bastiaan Teune, SNV Cambodia Sector Leader Energy /Global Cookstoves Coordinator

Session 3:

 Accelerating Access to Clean Cooking in the Asia and Pacific Region: Solutions and Scaling-up

Moderator: Mr. Michael Williamson, Section Chief, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

 Speakers:

  • Ms. Olivia Coldrey, Lead, Energy Finance and Clean Cooking, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)

 

  • Mr. Md. Enamul Karim (Pavel), Director (Loans) & Head (Renewable Energy), Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), Bangladesh

 

 

  • Mr. Noel Hechanova, Department Head, Iloilo City Environment and Natural Resource Office, Philippines