Kenya unveils ethanol stoves to help mitigate carbon emissions

NAIROBI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Wednesday unveiled ethanol stoves for refugees in Kakuma camp in northwest part of the country to help mitigate climate carbon emissions.

Principal Secretary for Environment and Forestry Charles Sunkuli said the stoves launched in partnership with electronics firm, Samsung, will help reduce dependency on charcoal in the camp.

"The project will help reduce carbon dioxide emission in the country by over 500,000 tonnes in the next five years," Sunkuli said during the launch in Nairobi.

He said the camp that has 200,000 refugees will benefit from a subsidy of 12,000 eco-friendly ethanol stoves.

The official said that Kenya is in the process of formulating a new climate change action plan 2018-2022 that will guide the country in actions that will deliver on an obligation of the climate change Act 2016.

About 80 percent of Kenyans who live in urban areas use charcoal for cooking hence putting a lot of pressure on the households from respiratory related diseases as well as adverse effects on the forest cover.

About 10 kilograms of wood is used to make one kilogram of charcoal that is putting a lot of strains on the country's forests. The country, in 2015 estimated a loss of 5.6 million trees daily due to deforestation.

"The use of ethanol for this cooker instead of charcoal will enable households benefit from an eco-friendly environment with less smoke while reducing their cooking fuel costs and cooking time," Patricia Kingori, Samsung Electronics East Africa Head of Marketing and Citizenship said.

Kingori said there is urgent need to create a healthy environment for future generations through projects that significantly address the rate of deforestation and carbon emissions. Enditem