Clean Cooking Alliance Unveils New Youth Strategy to Empower Young Leaders in Advancing Clean Cooking Solutions
NAIROBI, KENYA, June 22, 2023 – The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) launched its new Youth Strategy at the Africa Energy Forum’s YES! Youth Energy Summit, setting forth a comprehensive framework to engage, empower, and amplify the voices of youth in driving innovation and transformative change in the clean cooking sector.
The CCA Youth Strategy recognizes the immense potential of young people in addressing the urgent challenges of household air pollution and energy poverty, which affect millions of individuals, especially women and children, in low-income communities. By empowering young leaders, the strategy seeks to leverage their unique perspectives, skills, and passion to unlock new opportunities and drive the adoption of clean cooking technologies and practices.
Through strategic partnerships, capacity building initiatives, and targeted investments, the CCA Youth Strategy aims to provide young people with the necessary tools, resources, and platforms to make a meaningful impact in the clean cooking sector. By fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership development, the strategy seeks to create an enabling environment that supports youth-led solutions, promotes collaboration, and accelerates the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 – affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
“We are thrilled to launch our new Youth Strategy, which represents our deep commitment to engaging and empowering the next generation of clean cooking leaders,” said CCA CEO Dymphna van der Lans. “Young people are not only the beneficiaries of our work but also critical agents of change. By providing them with the necessary support, mentorship, and opportunities, we can amplify their voices and mobilize a youth-led movement that will transform the clean cooking sector and improve the lives of millions.”
In addition to launching its Youth Strategy, CCA is leveraging the YES! Youth Energy Summit by hosting a talented delegation of young clean cooking leaders and convening a session on “Unleashing the Power of Youth-led Change in Clean Cooking.” As part of the strategy launch, CCA also announced a partnership with Student Energy, to develop the “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program. “Ignite” will provide young people with the tools and resources needed to develop, scale, and commercialize innovative clean cooking solutions and launch their own sustainable businesses.
“CCA can play a critical role of connecting youth companies with well-established clean cooking companies, enabling youth to have meaningful engagement in the sector,” said Ben Odongo, Business Lead for Electric Cooking at UpEnergy Group.
To learn more about CCA’s new Youth Strategy and its initiatives to empower young leaders in the clean cooking sector, please visit cleancooking.org/youth-engagement/ or contact parterships@cleancooking.org.
