Clean cookstoves: protecting lives and the environment – 13 Aug

Lien Centre for Social Innovation, Nexus-Carbon for Development and The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves have organised this talk on 13 August.

Clean cookstoves: protecting lives and the environment

Date: Monday, 13 August 2012
Time: 6:00-7:00pm (light snacks provided)
Location: University Lounge, Level 6, Administration Building, 81 Victoria Street, Singapore Management University, Singapore 188065 (location map available here)

About the Session:

About three billion people use open fires and traditional cookstoves fueled with coal or biomass. This causes both health – including respiratory diseases – and environmental problems. It also affects more women and girls, who are traditionally responsible for cooking.

However solutions exist. Clean cooking solutions are those cookstove technologies, fuels, equipment, and practices that address the health and environmental impacts associated with traditional cookstoves. How can Singapore support efforts of neighboring countries to address indoor air pollution and environment issues such as deforestation?

Radha Muthiah will present the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private initiative to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. HEP Sokhannaro from NGO GERES will present a successful improved cookstove project implemented in Cambodia. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session facilitated by Singapore-based organization Nexus-Carbon for Development.

About the Speakers:

Radha Muthiah, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Radha Muthiah brings more than two decades of experience successfully fostering partnerships and alliances in both the for-profit and non-for-profit sectors; leading organizations through transition and toward new opportunities; and developing and executing innovative business models to promote economic development. She most recently served as Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at CARE International, USA. Born in London and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Muthiah holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Tufts University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University.

HEP Sokhannaro, New Lao Stove Project Manager, GERES Cambodia

HEP is a rural development and natural resources management specialist who has extensive experiences in project management, M&E, gender and rural livelihoods. He began his career with a grassroots level position that worked closely with rural communities and local authorities, to a senior position liaison with high ranking stakeholders including donors, partners, and international institutes. Sokhannaro holds master degree of sciences (MSc) from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. GERES is a French non-profit NGO created in 1976 after the first Oil Shock. The GERES teams are particularly involved in the implementation of engineering solutions for development, and providing specific technical expertise for environmental conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, reducing energy poverty, and improving the livelihood of the poor.

Event Partners:

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a public-private initiative to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. It seeks to mobilize high-level national and donor commitments toward the goal of universal adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels. Its ambitious but achievable goal is to foster the adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels in 100 million households by 2020. The Alliance is mobilizing support from a wide range of private, public, and non-profit stakeholders.

Nexus-Carbon for Development is a cooperative of development practitioners working together to scale up projects that combat climate change while bringing benefits to poor populations of developing countries. Our members – NGOs and social enterprises – implement clean cooking, water sanitation and renewable energy projects.

To register: Registration is open to businesses, charities and individuals interested in idea generation and discussion to move the social space forward. For more information, contact Jared at jaredtham@smu.edu.sg or 6828 1977.

Image courtesy of The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves