The Netherlands Development organization (SNV) on Tuesday launched the Strengthening Enabling Environment in Clean Cooking Sectors (SEECCS) project to assist the government with its plan to distribute over 11 million improved cooking stoves during the current Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II).
According to Kebede Yimam, State Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, getting people better stoves has vastly improved people’s lives primarily by improving the health of mothers and reducing deforestation in rural areas.
The use of renewable energy and creating green jobs are two ways the government is trying to tackle climate change. During GTP I over eight million improved stoves were distributed, Kebede told Capital.
During the event at the Intercontinental Hotel it was announced that the SEECCS project would last two years and SNV would  partner with government and private organizations as well as financial institutions.  There are a lot of programs working on improving cooking stoves but this is a first for the exclusive clean cooking initiative, Project Manager Hiwote Teshome, said.
“Fuel saving has been the priority with the cooking stove projects in the past, but the current project is targeted to include health issue like household pollution and environmental concerns,” she added.
The private sector will play an important role in this project by supplying improved stoves.
The World Bank has injected capital via the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) for renewable energy and although the private sector has not engaged in this endeavor but it has hoped that they will soon, according to the project manager.
“We have expectations that those financial organizations including the micro financial ones will get involved in this project,” she added
The project is financed by the government of the Netherlands in collaboration with the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change.