Global leaders and partners review cookstove health, climate and gender impacts at London event
Health, climate and gender impacts of the use of traditional cookstoves and open fires were reviewed by global partners at a mini-conference co-hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 1, 2014 in London.
Stakeholders from the clean cookstoves and fuels donor, research, non-governmental, development, and private sector communities participated in engaging presentations, panel discussions, and networking on the role of clean cooking solutions to achieve improved health, environmental, and social outcomes for people in developing countries. Speakers provided the attendees with their impressions on how best to scale engagement in the clean cooking sector and the unique opportunity that clean cookstoves and fuels can play to achieve lasting health and development progress. In turn, participants were invited to provide their feedback on funding priorities.
High-level DFID speakers also attended the event, including Lynne Featherstone, the U.K.’s International Development Minister. She reaffirmed her country’s support for the Alliance’s work to support clean cooking solutions: “It is tragic that so many people’s lives are put at risk simply from cooking and heating their homes. The international community needs to do more to find practical and scalable clean cooking solutions, allowing people to lead healthier lives.”
Dr Maria Neira, WHO’s Director of Public Health and Environment, announced the approval of long-awaited WHO indoor air quality guidelines for household fuel combustion. The guidelines will provide technical recommendations for household energy technologies, such as clean cookstoves and fuels that show the best performance for protecting health.