MINISTER of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment) Dr Ashantu Kijaji has urged developed nations to support the efforts of developing countries to fully implement the clean cooking energy agenda.
The minister made the call while speaking at the meeting for leaders in charge of clean cooking issues held on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP-29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, currently underway in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Dr Kijaji said the conference is part of a strategy to support the efforts in combating the impacts of climate change, including addressing the challenges posed by unclean energy.
The minister was accompanied by the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water and Environment, Jackson Kiswaga, and the advisor to the President on Environmental and Climate Change issues, Dr Richard Muyungi.
Meanwhile, Dr Kijaji also held talks with Burn Manufacturing Director Ms Caroline Amollo, whose company is involved in the production of clean cooking stoves in Tanzania.
During their talks, Minister Kijaji commended the company for investing in clean cooking energy in Tanzania which is one of the top agenda of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
She also assured Ms Amollo that the government will continue to cooperate with the company so that it can help to improve accessibility of clean cooking energy in the country.
For her part, Ms Amollo expressed her gratitude to Tanzania, pledging to invest further in clean cooking energy to ensure its availability and at an affordable price in the country.
In another development, Dr Kijaji met and held talks with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tomorrow Company Mr Rei Goffer.
The company specializes in technology aimed at reducing the impacts of climate change in sectors such as transportation, communication, agriculture, and fisheries.
During the discussions Dr Kijaji, who was accompanied by experts from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), invited the company to invest in Tanzania.
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She assured them that Tanzania would provide the necessary cooperation to ensure the country benefits from the company’s projects.
For his part, Mr Rei assured Dr Kijaji that they would invest in the country, particularly in weather monitoring initiatives.
Additionally, he pledged to start by providing training for TMA. Vice President Dr Philip Mpango is attending the COP29 on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The conference currently underway commenced on November 11, and is expected to be concluded in November 22 this year. This year’s conference is guided by the theme: “Leveraging Carbon Trading Opportunities to Promote Clean Cooking Energy and Alternative Energy Sources.”
At COP29, Tanzania was set to present nine major strategic project proposals, aiming to secure funding to address the ongoing impacts of climate change on the country
