Malawi Minister Matola calls for more global financing in clean cooking

Matola during his virtual participation

* There is a global shortage or insufficient financing targeting clean cooking

* Despite the fact that access to such modern cooking plays a significant part in ensuring universal access to clean and modern energy by 2030

By Duncan Mlanjira

In his contribution during a virtual address to delegates at the 6th Global Energy Interconnection Conference — which is currently taking place in Beijing, China — Minister of Energy, Ibrahim Matola has advocated for increased funding for clean cooking.

The Minister emphasized that there is a global shortage or insufficient financing targeting clean cooking despite the fact that access to such modern cooking plays a significant part in ensuring universal access to clean and modern energy by 2030.

“While it is critical that we continue to expand connections, energy poverty will remain a challenge if the issue of clean and modern cooking is not addressed,” he said, adding: “Our focus on energy poverty has been on grid connections and to a lesser extent on mini or micro minigrids.

“These initiatives mainly serve the purpose of providing electricity for lighting, powering appliances, and charging mobile phones.

“Most of the times we do forget that according to the Sustainable Energy for All, around 3 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean cooking solutions.

“These people rely on burning traditional biomass or polluting fuels, which have severe consequences including indoor air pollution that causes millions of deaths annually.”

Matola thus said it is high time that access to modern and clean cooking was made a priority globally and at country levels.

“We, therefore, need to raise our ambitions on this. We need to unlock finance for this.”

Concurring with Matola, Jeffrey D. Sachs — a Columbia University professor and president of the University Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, stated that money is critical if the world is to meet climate change targets.

“Let me agree with Minister Matola on the importance of funding,” he said. “To meet our goals, we will need to invest heavily in climate change mitigation.

“Furthermore, let us collaborate with our neighbours by connecting together. We cannot operate in isolation. Our neighbours cannot be enemies because no single country can do it alone,” he said.

The 2023 edition of the conference has been organised by Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO).

The Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) initiative aims to build up consensus and pool synergy for accelerating world energy transition and sustainable development.

The conference will further facilitate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

According to the UN, the GEI initiative was proposed in September 2015 by Chinese President Xi Jinping targeted to meet global power demand with clean and green alternatives at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, which received extensive support and active responses from the international community.

Since its launch, GEIDCO has made many groundbreaking efforts in concept dissemination, innovative research, international cooperation, and project promotion, cementing major progress in GEI development.

The year 2023 marks the 8th anniversary of GEI initiative, and the second anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and 2023 is also the year for mid-term stocktaking of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals a milestone year for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and a crucial year for accelerating energy transition.

With a focus on the development of GEI and new energy system, 2023 Global Energy Interconnection Conference is pooling global wisdom, seek common development, discuss key issues and propose solutions for world energy, climate, environment, sustainable development and biodiversity protection.

The open, inclusive and innovative event has pooled together an array of heavyweight speakers from governments of different countries, UN agencies, leading regional and international organizations, top enterprises and renowned universities and research institutions.