Clean Cooking Energy Demonstration Aims to Combat Climate Change in Malawi
A clean cooking energy demonstration in Lilongwe aims to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices.
Lilongwe, Malawi-A clean cooking energy demonstration was held in Lilongwe on Friday, in a bid to combat climate change and promote sustainable practises, writes Memory Phoso.
The event was organized by the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), Modern Cooking Healthy Forests (MCHF), and a multi-stakeholder task force on increasing access to clean energy in Malawi, with financial support from Oxfam.
The demonstration aimed to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of transitioning to environmentally friendly energy sources, specifically in the context of cooking and heating.
Julius Ng'oma, the National Coordinator of CISONECC, emphasised that the collaborative efforts of these organisations are crucial in addressing the climate change issues caused by the demand for traditional cooking and heating energy sources.
"Whenever you want to address such energy challenges, there is a need to bring everyone on board so that we understand each other and move forward in promoting clean cooking energy technologies," said Ng'oma.
Ng'oma highlighted that Mgona was intentionally targeted for the demonstration because it is an area known for promoting unclean energy sources, particularly unsustainable charcoal, which significantly contributes to environmental degradation.
Lee Ngirazie, the Climate Justice Coordinator from Christian Aid and a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Taskforce on increasing access to clean energy in Malawi, stressed the importance of embracing clean energy technologies that have minimal impact on climate change.
Ngirazie expressed his support for initiatives like the clean cooking energy demonstration, stating that they create awareness and educate people about alternative energy sources that do not harm the environment, thus mitigating the effects of climate change.
"Such initiatives create awareness and educate people on the alternative sources of energy apart from those that are distracting the environment, leading to the issue of climate change," said Ngirazie.
Deus Byson, the Scientific Officer for Electrical and Electronics under the Testing Services Department at the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), shed light on the challenges they had faced in terms of testing and ensuring compliance with quality standards.
However, Byson revealed that these challenges have now been resolved, as MBS has acquired state-of-the-art equipment capable of testing solar panels and various types of batteries.
"MBS has acquired equipment that enables us to test solar panels in particular and batteries of different kinds. It was difficult to enforce testing and compliance about quality before, but now we are in a better position as we are able to verify and give feedback quickly to people who bring requests for testing," said Byson.
The demonstration event also provided an opportunity for various companies promoting clean energy cooking equipment to showcase their products by exhibiting their innovative cylinders and stoves, which are designed to offer efficient and sustainable cooking solutions.
According to Malawi's Renewable Energy Strategy (2017), Malawi heavily relies on biomass as its primary energy source, with a staggering 89% of the country's total energy supply coming from unsustainable biomass, which has led to widespread deforestation and environmental degradation.
The clean cooking energy demonstration is a positive step towards addressing the climate change challenges facing Malawi.
It is clear that there is a growing demand for clean energy technologies, and this event has helped to raise awareness and educate the public about the benefits of these technologies.