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Clean Cooking Forum 2022

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Jillene Connors Belopolsky

Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance

Jillene Connors Belopolsky is the Chief of Staff at the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA). Jillene has over a decade of experience in energy sustainability, strategy, and innovation. Prior to joining CCA, Jillene worked at BP, developing group-level strategies focused on the environmental and societal impacts of technology, climate change, and carbon management, and was involved in BP’s early energy access business. Jillene has focused much of her career around energy sustainability strategies and collaborative partnerships to accelerate the shifts that are needed in global decision-making, with a concentration on energy access and sustainable livelihoods. Jillene has worked with Earth Security Group where she advised corporations on a range of sustainability impact opportunities and led research to define a global cooperation framework to accelerate public-private sustainability investment in forced displacement. She has also held positions with The Prince’s Rainforests Project, McKinsey & Company, and The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. Jillene holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Gettysburg College.

Day 0 October 10
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
Day 1 October 11
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
4:55 pm-5:55 pm
Breakout Room B

A New Chapter: Transforming Clean Cooking Response in Displacement Settings

The number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began. Yet, there is a widening gap between the 100 million displaced people around the world and the political will and institutional capability to meet their needs. Access to clean, safe, affordable energy is essential to meet basic needs and build resilience in displacement settings, many of which are increasingly protracted, yet only 10 per cent of refugees have access to Tier 1-2 electricity, (i.e., 4 hours per day) and 80% rely on wood and charcoal for cooking.

Improving energy access in displacement settings to build capacity and resilience requires meaningful integration of the needs of communities throughout the design, delivery and evaluation process within the socio-technical energy system.

The traditional response to energy provision in humanitarian crises has been in the form of distributing cookstoves and firewood for cooking. However, with many humanitarian crises turning into protracted situations, meeting cooking energy needs requires a more holistic and market-based approach.

This session will share learnings from recent projects and highlight successful clean cooking delivery models. It will discuss how innovative financing, such as blended finance, cash-based transfers and vouchers, and carbon credits, can support market-based approaches that are aligned with local markets and encourage private-sector provision of energy services for long-term sustainability.

Watch this session.

Speakers
Emmanuel Aziebor Regional Energy Advisor for Africa, Mercy Corps
Jillene Connors Belopolsky Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance
Karlijn Groen Project Advisor, SNV Kenya
Vahid Jahangiri Deputy Director, International Lifeline Fund
Anitha Umutoniwase CEO, EcoGreen
Day 2 October 12
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
4:45 pm-6:30 pm
Adlon Ballroom

Closing Plenary

Speakers
H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia Second Lady of Ghana
Alex Eaton CEO, Sistema.bio
Gabriela Elizondo Azuela Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, World Bank
Peter George Co-Investment Director, Spark+ Africa Fund; Chairman, Stichting Modern Cooking
Honorable Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey Mayor of Accra
Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri Founder and CEO, XpressGas
Jillene Connors Belopolsky Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance
Mwayi Kampesi CEO and Founder, Planet Green Africa
Fiona Wanjiku Moejes CEO, Mawazo Institute
Akil Callender Youth Specialist, SEforALL
Gathoni Kimani Senior Associate, Market Strengthening and Venture Catalyst, Clean Cooking Alliance
Shirley McAlpine Founder, Shirley McAlpine & Associates
Dymphna van der Lans CEO, Clean Cooking Alliance
Monojeet Pal Manager, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, African Development Bank
Nishdeep Sethi Group Director, Structured Finance, African Guarantee Fund
Rosemary Enobakhare Associate Administrator, Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the Administrator
Feisal Hussain Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Clean Cooking Alliance
Sameer Shukla Adviser to the Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)
Day 3 October 13
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
Day 4 October 14
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
4:55 pm-5:55 pm
Breakout Room B

A New Chapter: Transforming Clean Cooking Response in Displacement Settings

The number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began. Yet, there is a widening gap between the 100 million displaced people around the world and the political will and institutional capability to meet their needs. Access to clean, safe, affordable energy is essential to meet basic needs and build resilience in displacement settings, many of which are increasingly protracted, yet only 10 per cent of refugees have access to Tier 1-2 electricity, (i.e., 4 hours per day) and 80% rely on wood and charcoal for cooking.

Improving energy access in displacement settings to build capacity and resilience requires meaningful integration of the needs of communities throughout the design, delivery and evaluation process within the socio-technical energy system.

The traditional response to energy provision in humanitarian crises has been in the form of distributing cookstoves and firewood for cooking. However, with many humanitarian crises turning into protracted situations, meeting cooking energy needs requires a more holistic and market-based approach.

This session will share learnings from recent projects and highlight successful clean cooking delivery models. It will discuss how innovative financing, such as blended finance, cash-based transfers and vouchers, and carbon credits, can support market-based approaches that are aligned with local markets and encourage private-sector provision of energy services for long-term sustainability.

Watch this session.

Speakers
Emmanuel Aziebor Regional Energy Advisor for Africa, Mercy Corps
Jillene Connors Belopolsky Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance
Karlijn Groen Project Advisor, SNV Kenya
Vahid Jahangiri Deputy Director, International Lifeline Fund
Anitha Umutoniwase CEO, EcoGreen
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
4:45 pm-6:30 pm
Adlon Ballroom

Closing Plenary

Speakers
H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia Second Lady of Ghana
Alex Eaton CEO, Sistema.bio
Gabriela Elizondo Azuela Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, World Bank
Peter George Co-Investment Director, Spark+ Africa Fund; Chairman, Stichting Modern Cooking
Honorable Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey Mayor of Accra
Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri Founder and CEO, XpressGas
Jillene Connors Belopolsky Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer, Clean Cooking Alliance
Mwayi Kampesi CEO and Founder, Planet Green Africa
Fiona Wanjiku Moejes CEO, Mawazo Institute
Akil Callender Youth Specialist, SEforALL
Gathoni Kimani Senior Associate, Market Strengthening and Venture Catalyst, Clean Cooking Alliance
Shirley McAlpine Founder, Shirley McAlpine & Associates
Dymphna van der Lans CEO, Clean Cooking Alliance
Monojeet Pal Manager, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, African Development Bank
Nishdeep Sethi Group Director, Structured Finance, African Guarantee Fund
Rosemary Enobakhare Associate Administrator, Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the Administrator
Feisal Hussain Senior Director, Innovative Finance, Clean Cooking Alliance
Sameer Shukla Adviser to the Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP)
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky
Sessions by Jillene Connors Belopolsky