The city of Abidjan recently hosted a workshop titled "Regional Opportunities for Transitioning to Clean Cooking in West Africa." Organized by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the event was supported by the European Union and The Enterprise Agency of the Netherlands (RVO) through their partnership, Energizing Development. This gathering brought together key stakeholders from across the region to discuss clean cooking initiatives.
The workshop began with updates on clean cooking progress from ECOWAS member states. Representatives provided reports on the status of these initiatives in their respective countries.
A major focus was a recap of recommendations from the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2023 (ESEF 2023) and an introduction to the main components of the Regional Clean Cooking for West Africa (ReCCAWA) initiative. This initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking solutions, focusing on reducing health risks, environmental impact, and promoting economic opportunities through sustainable technologies.
Participants engaged in an interactive session where they were divided into groups to discuss key points across three Impact Areas: enabling environment, demand, and supply promotion. These discussions aimed at identifying challenges and opportunities within each area to drive progress in clean cooking. Participants then presented findings and recommendations specific to each Impact Area that may influence ReCCAWA's activities.
Francis Sempore, Executive Director of ECREEE, highlighted the workshop's significance in emphasizing clean cooking solutions as part of West Africa’s broader energy and development goals. He stated that through partnerships and strategic recommendations, the workshop helped set the stage for concrete actions toward sustainable cooking practices in the region. He also commended AECID and RVO for their critical role in shaping action, along with support from the EU and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
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