Hon. Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania honored the event as the Guest of Honor, attracting a diverse range of stakeholders from various sectors. The European Union (EU) funded CookFund programme was strongly represented by the EU Head of Delegation, H.E. Ambassador Christine Grau, the Head of UNCDF Tanzania, Peter Malika, Lorence Ansernet, Officer in Charge, UNIDO and several grantees.

Hon. Philip Mpango, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania at the conference,Dotto Biteko, Minister of Energy during their visit at the Women Clean Cooking Conference.

The conference's main themes highlighted the importance of clean cooking in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy and mitigating climate change. The themes align to the broader advocacy efforts by President Samia Suluhu Hassan to alleviate women’s burden through an accelerated rollout of cleaner cooking fuels and technologies. More broadly, the concerted effort will also support Tanzania's ambitions for 80% of its household population to embrace clean cooking solutions within the next decade.

The Head of UNCDF Tanzania, Peter Malika,The EU Head of Delegation, H.E. Ambassador Christine Grau, Lorence Ansernet, Officer in Charge, UNIDO

The CookFund programme’s role in this agenda is to support the growth of the private sector by stimulating the market through direct capital injections to qualifying enterprises and companies in the clean cooking value chain, improving the regulatory framework, increasing awareness and promoting behavior change of the population and support to institutions (largely public institutions) to switch from traditional cooking fuels (charcoal and firewood) to cleaner efficient fuels. Expanding the market enhances the accessibility of clean cooking solutions, especially for women who are the majority end users. To date, the programme has provided funding support of TZS 9.4 billion to sixty entrepreneurs and businesses, facilitating innovation, job creation, and market expansion, this support has facilitated innovation, job creation, and market expansion, thereby contributing significantly to Tanzania's endeavors to combat climate change effect and achieve sustainability.

Hon. Philip Mpango and Hon. Doto Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, underscored the pressing need to transition to clean cooking energy to tackle environmental degradation, health risks, and socio-economic challenges associated with traditional cooking methods. Both stressed the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors to expedite the nationwide adoption of clean cooking technologies.

Read more about UNCDF's CookFund Programme HERE.