The Vice President of Tanzania, Dr. Philip Mpango, has called upon the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to prioritize clean cooking energy as a crucial aspect of climate finance discussions.
Speaking at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dr. Mpango highlighted the urgent need to address the challenges posed by reliance on unclean cooking energy across Africa, which impacts nearly 900 million people. The dependency drives deforestation, depletes carbon sinks, and causes health issues related to smoke inhalation.
Acknowledging the gravity of this issue, Dr. Mpango commended Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for her leadership in promoting clean energy in Africa.
He noted that President Hassan has spearheaded the Pan-African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme, an initiative aimed at ensuring widespread adoption of clean cooking energy across Africa. With a targeted annual funding requirement of $4 billion, this initiative aims to reach its goals by 2030.
Additionally, Tanzania has launched a national strategy to ensure that 80% of households have access to clean, safe, and affordable cooking energy by 2034.
Dr. Mpango emphasized that COP29 should ensure fulfillment of existing climate finance commitments by making decisions that prioritize accessible funding for countries facing the impacts of climate change.
He highlighted that the upcoming review of the $100 billion climate finance target, initially pledged in 2009, offers an opportunity to reframe environmental funding structures for the future.
He called climate finance both an obligation and a right, as established in the Paris Agreement, and urged COP29 to bolster the Loss and Damage Fund to ensure these resources are meaningful and aligned with progress achieved at COP28 in Dubai.
The Vice President also pointed out that global carbon markets are still underdeveloped, with insufficient information and infrastructure to enable equitable participation.
As a result, many countries are not receiving fair compensation for their efforts in carbon sequestration and climate action.
Dr. Mpango reiterated Tanzania’s commitment to global climate action, noting that, like other developing nations, Tanzania allocates its own resources to implement projects that promote clean energy, sustainable transport infrastructure, enhanced early warning systems, and improved waste management.
He further underscored Tanzania’s dedication to conserving its natural resources, which includes 48.1 million hectares of forest reserves with an estimated carbon storage capacity of 2% of the global total.
He added that Tanzania’s extensive coastline, stretching 1,424 kilometers, and its 64,500 square kilometers of ocean area present substantial opportunities for advancing the blue economy.
The COP29 summit, held under the theme “Solidarity in Building a Green World,” aims to foster unified action among member states to combat the global impacts of climate change and build a sustainable future.
