21 November 2014: The World Bank Group and Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves have teamed up to support the goal of helping 100 million households adopt clean and efficient cooking appliances by 2020. Under the ‘Efficient Clean Cooking and Heating Partnership,’ the World Bank has committed to mobilizing US$60 million to aid the Alliance in its work. The Partnership is a five-year endeavor that will support in-country programmes being run by both the Alliance and the Bank.
Announced at the Cookstoves Future Summit held in New York City, US, on 20-21 November 2014, the Partnership will be coordinated by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) of the World Bank. Anita George, Senior Director of the World Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice, said the Partnership will focus on “tough issues” such as improved technology, better affordability, supply chain development and consumer behavior.
In addition to supporting the Alliance’s goal of transitioning 100 million households to clean cookstoves by 2020, the the Partnership will contribute to the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) goal of universal access to modern energy services by 2030. The work, which takes a market-based approach and will be supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will be undertaken initially in 12 countries where the the World Bank and Alliance are active.
In-country work will involve promoting improved national policies and standards and testing for cleaner cooking technologies. Along the supply chain, the Partnership will foster the spread of technical know-how for manufacturers and distributors. An awareness-raising campaign will educate consumers about the benefits of clean cooking. In addition, the IFC will work to attract private sector investment in the space, and remote data-gathering technologies will help determine the most popular clean cookstoves and monitor programs for areas in need of improvement. [World Bank Press Release] [Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Commitments Summary]