More than 500 leaders and experts from 50 countries are in Accra from Nov 10-13 as Ghana hosts the Clean Cooking Forum 2015. The event, being held for the first time in West Africa, is part of a global effort to create a thriving global market for clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels.
Organized by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and the Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the Forum will feature four days of meetings, panel discussions and cultural events, as well as showcase Ghana’s own progress on the clean cooking issue.
“Ghana has made large strides toward increasing access to cleaner-burning cooking fuels,” Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Petroleum, said.
“The Clean Cooking Forum will serve as a great opportunity to showcase Ghana’s work on increasing energy access and improving the lives of all Ghanaians through the broader use of clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels.”
Over 13,000 deaths occur each year in Ghana as a result of exposure to household air pollution (HAP) from cooking, and more than 21 million people are impacted by exposure to HAP each year.
In addition, more than 80% of Ghana’s population uses solid fuels for cooking, which has widespread impacts on human health and the environment.
“Ghana has taken significant steps to increase access to cleaner, more efficient cookstoves and fuels, making it a fitting place to celebrate the growing momentum in the sector,” said Radha Muthiah, CEO of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which is co-hosting the Forum.
“We’re excited to join our many partners in Ghana who have shown how the comprehensive approach supported by the Alliance and enhanced by a wide variety of in-country stakeholders can deliver on its full potential and help us ensure that cooking no longer kills.”
Keynote speakers and guests at the Forum include The Honorable Grant Shapps, Minister of State for the UK Department for International Development; Stephen Appiah, former professional soccer player and head of the Stephen Appiah Foundation; Rocky Dawuni, international musician and Alliance Ambassador; and Radha Muthiah, CEO of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
The Forum will run November 10th through November 13th in Accra.-
–
Source:Ghana Alliance for Clean Stoves