The energy sector has validated the first National Action Plan and Strategy on Clean and Modern Cooking (PNACLM). The event took place during the webinar "Clean and Modern Cooking in São Tomé and Príncipe," held on April 30, 2024, with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), under the project "Building Institutional Capacity for a Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Investment Program for São Tomé and Príncipe."
The adoption of the PNACLM marks the culmination of a process led by the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Energy (DGRNE), with technical assistance from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and financing from UNIDO and GCF. The main objective was to provide DGRNE with a reference guide, complementary to the National Action Plan for Renewable Energies (PANER) and the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (PANEE), to promote the adoption of clean and modern cooking products and services.
The goal of the PNACLM is to promote the adoption of clean cooking products and services, guide investment decisions, and facilitate policy dialogue between the government and technical and financial partners, contributing to increased international attention and support for this issue.
The PNACLM has set the goal to reduce biomass for cooking to 50% by 2030 and increase the percentage of the population using clean cooking to 50% in the same period. By 2050, the goal is to eliminate biomass and expand the percentage of the population using clean and modern cooking technologies to 100%.
Among the strategies proposed to achieve this goal, the plan recommends in the short term promoting improved biomass stoves for the rural population that uses firewood for cooking and promoting sustainable charcoal stacking. In the short and medium term, it recommends promoting LPG among urban and rural populations with higher purchasing power and restricting the use of kerosene for domestic purposes. In the medium term, it recommends promoting the use of electricity for cooking among the urban population with a reliable electricity supply and the rural population through distributed renewable generation.
The plan discusses the main limitations in public policies that hinder the advancement of clean cooking. These challenges include a lack of data, uncertainties in the electrical grid expansion policy, lack of knowledge of energy needs associated with culinary habits, and other market barriers, such as regulatory insufficiencies and lack of support for clean technology research.
Under the coordination of DGRNE of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Public Works, and Natural Resources, the plan will involve public partners, civil society, and international partners. The plan presents measures to strengthen institutional capacity, raise awareness to increase the demand for modern equipment and fuels, and distribute efficient technologies.
Currently, most of the population in São Tomé and Príncipe does not have access to sustainable cooking services and heavily relies on firewood and charcoal. Air pollution, lower respiratory tract infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are the second, third, and eighth leading causes of death and disability in the country. Access to cleaner and modern technological options will allow, especially for women, to have more time available for productive activities, study, and reduce the risk of attacks and gender-based violence during firewood collection. Additionally, unsustainable biomass extraction contributes to deforestation, erosion, changes in precipitation cycles, droughts, and desertification, increasing malaria transmission and having adverse effects on the climate through greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning to cleaner and modern cooking systems has the potential to generate average savings of up to 192% by 2030, surpassing the savings achieved by energy system measures.
For more information, contact:
Martin Lugmayr, Industrial Development Expert and GNSEC Coordinator: M.GAILLON@unido.org
Andrea Eras Almeida, Renewable Energy Project Expert: A.ERASALMEIDA@unido.org
Gabriel Maquengo, National Project Coordinator: G.LIMAMAQUENGO@unido.org
Geisel Carvalho de Menezes, National Young Climate Professional: G.CARVALHODEMENEZES@unido.org
