Cleaner air for the poorest homes
Around four million people die every year from pollution caused by their only means of household cooking - an open fire. The deaths are a result of three billion people across Africa, Asia and Latin America cooking in their homes using wood, charcoal and even animal dung as fuel. Open fires producing soot and greenhouse gases damage the health of families - especially women and children – but also the environment. Searching for fuels also uses up valuable time that could be spent earning a better living or attending school.
But bright ideas are aiming to change all that. The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a unique initiative working to create a self-sufficient global market for cleaner and more efficient stoves for cooking and heating by supporting local entrepreneurs and stimulating demand for cleaner cooking solutions. It also aims to raise awareness of the ways these stoves can reduce fuel use, cooking time and loss of life.
