Efficient and Clean Cooking for Mozambican Low-Income Households

85% of the urban population in the Maputo area of Mozambique rely on charcoal to meet cooking energy needs. Charcoal prices have been rising recently, creating economic difficulties for people in the peri-urban areas. Cooking with biomass in non-efficient stoves has dangerous effects to health, contributing to the emergence of respiratory diseases, affecting mostly women and children. In addition, the use of charcoal in inefficient stoves contributes to rapid deforestation and forest degradation.

This project has distributed 5,731 clean cookstoves to low income households that significantly reduce the amount of charcoal required (currently, charcoal spend is 30% of the target group’s monthly income), promote good health by reducing indoor air pollution and provide access to affordable and clean energy.

The project aims to achieve four main goals:

1. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through decreased consumption of biomass from better combustion and energy efficient-stoves;
2. Decrease pressure on forests and thus diminishing forest degradation and deforestation due to reduced charcoal consumption by households;
3. Tackle household indoor air pollution and promotion of a safe and clean cooking environment thus reducing death rates from respiratory diseases such as asthma which kills approximately 13,000 people a year in Mozambique (mostly women and children).
4. Promotion of socio-economic benefits for the population due to reduced charcoal use (and cash) to meet cooking energy requirements and creating job opportunities for local people during the distribution of these stoves.

Stoves are sold by promoters to low income households in peri-urban areas of Maputo, using the door to door sales approach. Household and data from each sale are recorded for tracking purposes. Stoves are subsidized by MozCarbon so they can be sold at a price below the cost of production. Payment for the stoves are made in instalments to enable the population to afford them (the beneficiary makes a 30% down payment and the remaining balance is paid over three months).

The project is being implemented by Mozambique Carbon Initiatives Limitada. The technologies include the Envirofit CH2200, Envirofit Econochar, Rocket Works Chazama and Mbaula Poupa+ stoves.

Project impacts and benefits

The project helps in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals SDG1, SDG3, SDG7 and SDG13. So far, the project benefits are:

• Improvement of the quality of employment: for women and youth who are employed in stove production, marketing activities, and monitoring. 69 direct jobs were created by this specific project, 71% being young women.
• Decrease in charcoal consumption: 94% of stove users reported a decrease in charcoal consumption thus reducing the monthly quantities and costs related to purchase charcoal by 60%.
• Promotion of good health and well-being: 5,731 families with improved air quality (30,000 beneficiaries). 93% of stove users reported a decrease in the quantity and quality of smoke in the kitchen.
• Access to affordable and clean energy to 5,731 families with clean charcoal stoves, the direct beneficiaries being low income households.
• Contribution to climate action by reducing 23,834 tCO2e emitted each year.
  
  

Contact details

Mozambique Carbon Initiatives Limitada (MozCarbon)
Contact person: Goodmore Chatora
Email: info@mozcarbon.co.mz
Phone: +25821422188