Abebe D. Beyene, a senior research fellow at ECRC, conducted a training workshop on the economic and social benefits of clean cooking stoves for media professionals. It was organized by the Ethiopian Clean Cooking Alliance (ECCA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) and Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (SNV), a Netherlands-based NGO. The training was offered to mainstream media professionals and journalists including print and digital media.
Abebe D. Beyene discussed the problems associated with the use of biomass in developing countries, the necessity of an energy transition, and the impacts of the adoption of clean cookstoves in general citing examples from Ethiopia. He also used research findings from ECRC to explain the empirical evidence and opportunities. These include the impacts of improved biomass cookstoves on fuel saving and the environment, on household health, time-saving, child education, energy expenditure, and women empowerment.
Given the huge benefits of improved biomass cookstoves, Abebe D. Beyene explained that the adoption of clean and efficient cooking solutions has been low or modest in several developing countries including Ethiopia.
Abebe D. Beyene noted that media plays a tremendous role in creating awareness and hence can significantly contribute to a wide dissemination of clean cookstoves in this country.
The main objective of the media training is to inform media professionals and journalists about the benefits of clean cooking stoves and broader climate change discourse. The training is a five-day workshop on May 22-26, 2023.