Netherlands, Denmark, and European Commission Join Forces on Clean Cooking
ACCRA, GHANA, October 11, 2022 — Today, a unique collaboration between the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Commission was launched during the Clean Cooking Forum in Accra, Ghana. The project, called “Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Environment for Clean Cooking” (SEE-Clean Cooking) aims to increase the access to clean cooking solutions in various markets in Africa and Asia by means of over-the-counter clean cooking technology as well as bio-digesters. The approach of the SEE- Clean Cooking includes support to companies that provide products and services by means of technical assistance and access to finance, incentives for companies and consumers by means of results based finance and support to the enabling environment by means of policy support and strengthening business associations.
The launch at the Forum, organized by the Clean Cooking Alliance, was appropriately timed during the session: “Decade for Delivery; Governments Are Key to Unlocking Transformation” which focused on the environmental factors which are required to build sustainable markets for clean and affordable cooking technologies.
The SEE-Clean Cooking project is managed by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in association with the Energising Development (EnDev) programme, implying the activities are coordinated in synergy with on-going EnDev interventions, while results and impact are reported in a similar way.
This EnDev partnership supported the Clean Cooking forum programme through a pre-conference training session with GET.invest called the “Finance Masterclass” which facilitated 10 early stage entrepreneurs to on the pathway towards professionalization and growth. In a similar vein, EnDev and SEE-Clean Cooking supported a B2B Networking component during the Clean Cooking Forum to ensure networks can be strengthened towards further synergy and growth .
Mr. Massimo Mina, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Ghana said that: “Youth plays indeed a vital role in terms of innovation and companies’ creation in this sector. We need to support and motivate these youths that will develop and produce tomorrow’s clean cooking products.”
Ms. Katja Lasseur, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Republic of Ghana, said: “The Netherlands is a firm supporter of clean cooking. We are delighted to join forces with the EU and Denmark on this important topic in a true Team Europe spirit.” She highlighted that clean cooking is key in advancing and protecting women’s rights and gender equality: “It is about female agency, as the development of clean cooking markets offers particular opportunities for women entrepreneurs and for women as agents of change in their communities.”
Mr. Mogens Strunge Larsen, Counsellor at the Embassy of Denmark in Kenya said: “Using biogas for cooking provides a multitude of benefits spanning from easing the workload of women and children, protecting the environment, improved respiratory health to improved soil fertility. Through the latter the generation of biogas contributes to mitigating the ravaging food crisis affecting over 300 million men, women and not least children in Africa.”
Mr. Marcel Raats, manager of the Global Challenges, Energy and Climate department at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), said: “There is an urgent need to strengthen markets that provide clean cooking solutions to households and institutions and this unique collaboration provides us with the resources to build stronger enterprises, provide incentives to boost sales and build a more facilitative environment for the market to thrive in.”
About:
The SEE-Clean Cooking programme has a total budget of EUR 42,5m, will run until 2025 and is financed by the Netherlands, the European Commission and Denmark. It is implemented in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso as part of the EnDev partnership. The German Technische Zusammenarbeit für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Netherlands Development Organisation SNV are key partners to implement the activities at country level.
The promotion video of the launch can be found at: https://youtu.be/su533yiv9A8
More information on the SEE-CC project can be found at: Strengthening the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Clean Cooking – SEE-CC | RVO.nl
More information on the Clean Cooking Forum can be found at: Clean Cooking Forum 2022 | Clean Cooking Alliance
For further information, please contact Heidi Marchal – heidi.marchal@rvo.nl, communications officer at RVO.
