China Update: Launch of the Alliance China Council and Putting Clean Cooking on the G20 Energy Agenda
In China in April, clean cooking saw a major boost on both the global and national levels.
In preparation for the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit to be hosted in Hangzhou in September, G20 energy representatives held meetings to outline priorities for the year’s energy agenda. Delegates discussed a wide range of topics such as energy access, clean energy, energy efficiency, and global energy governance, while also meeting with representatives from observing countries and international organizations about the energy sector.
As part of the discussions, Alliance CEO Radha Muthiah met with member state representatives to stress the importance of energy access and the need to make clean cooking a priority. Moving forward, clean cooking is expected to be officially recognized as a key component of the G20 energy agenda. This marked a significant recognition that clean cooking must be included in the energy equation, as well as in the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit, and that it is critical to helping achieve broader energy and climate goals.
At the national level, representatives from government, academia and the private sector joined Muthiah, Counsel Xie Ji of China’s NDRC, Wang Shi, Chairman of the Board for Vanke, and Madam Zhao Xinzhu, Chairwoman of Zhongyi Group, to launch the new Alliance China Council. Madam Zhao Xinzhu will be the Executive Secretary-General of the new China Council, which will work to bring together corporate CEOs, influential leaders and organizations across China to raise awareness around clean cooking, attract investment, spur broader engagement from the private sector, and highlight China’s expertise on addressing the clean cooking issue. The Alliance China Council will also help boost South-South cooperation and support the sustainable development of Chinese enterprises in the sector as part of efforts to reach 40 million households in China with clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020.