By our Correspondence,
ANTALYA, Türkiye, Nov. 13 — Tanzania is seeking to attract international investment and strengthen partnerships to expand clean cooking, particularly in public institutions such as schools and health facilities, as the country steps up its participation in global energy discussions at the COP31 climate summit.
Energy Minister Juma Homera held talks with international development partners, including Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and UpEnergy, on financing opportunities and the potential use of carbon credits to support the country's clean cooking transition.
During a bilateral meeting with SEforALL Chief Executive Officer Damilola Ogunbiyi, Homera discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in expanding access to clean cooking technologies, particularly in public institutions, and mobilising investment for the sector.
Ogunbiyi commended Tanzania's efforts to advance the clean cooking agenda in Africa and expressed SEforALL's readiness to continue working with the government to accelerate its plans.
In a separate meeting with UpEnergy executives, discussions focused on the potential of carbon credit markets to attract investment and reduce the cost of clean cooking technologies.
Homera said carbon trading could provide an opportunity to mobilise investment and make clean cooking solutions more affordable for institutions and households.
"Carbon trading is among the opportunities that can be used to attract investment and reduce the cost of clean cooking technologies," he said.
The minister also represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan at a high-level dialogue on clean energy transition and electricity distribution, titled "35 by 35: Powering the Future", held on November 11.
He said Tanzania supported the global initiative to increase electricity's share of worldwide energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
Tanzania's electricity generation capacity has exceeded 4,600 megawatts, while all 12,318 villages in mainland Tanzania have been reached by electricity infrastructure, Homera said.
Under the National Energy Compact, the country aims to increase the electricity connection rate to 75% by 2030 and raise the share of renewable energy in installed generation capacity to 75%, he added.
Homera also took part in a high-level discussion on "Powering the Future: Grids for Energy Security and Prosperity", which examined the Global Grid Accelerator initiative.
The initiative seeks to accelerate investment in electricity transmission and distribution networks to improve energy access, strengthen energy security and support economic growth.
Tanzania's engagement at COP31 comes as the government pursues its national clean cooking strategy, which aims to ensure that 80% of the population uses clean cooking energy by 2034.
The discussions in Antalya underline the importance of international cooperation, financing, and private-sector investment in achieving that target.