UN stalls action on the killer in the kitchen
Commission on Sustainable Development 15, New York, 30 April - 11 May 2007
After two weeks of intense negotiations, the UN failed to agree a concrete action plan to tackle indoor air pollution at the 15th session of its Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 15).
The annual meeting of world governments offered an important opportunity to mobilise international action on the 'killer in the kitchen'. But as the conference progressed it became clear that numerous issues were unresolved, leading to frantic negotiations until late on the final day. At the end of the meeting, the EU delegation rejected the Chair's communiqué, arguing that it neither addresses the identified challenges nor meets international expectations.
Practical Action had been lobbying the UK government to prioritise indoor air pollution at the UN. Thousands of people had sent postcards to the International Development Secretary about the killer in the kitchen, and the campaign was backed by over 100 MPs who had signed a parliamentary motion on the issue. Practical Action also prepared a joint position statement in advance of CSD 15, and also jointly organised a TV-style debate on indoor air pollution at the UN headquarters itself.
Whilst the lack of agreed action to tackle indoor air pollution is disappointing, the Chair's summary does contain clear recommendations with respect to indoor air pollution. These include action to:
- Provide financial support to programmes and other activities that address adverse health impacts of indoor air pollution including public awareness campaigns in developing countries;
- Improve the dissemination of information and knowledge about the health impacts of indoor air pollution, in particular on women, children and workers.
- Accelerate the transition from inefficient utilization of biomass to cleaner energy sources, technology, and appliances for cooking and heating and support efforts to disseminate improved biomass-based technologies
Despite the lack of agreement, the issue is at last being recognised by governments as a serious threat to health and development.
Debate on Healthy and Affordable Household EnergyMonday, 7 May 2007, Conference Room 4, 6:15 - 7:45 pm (EST)
At the 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, Practical Action joined forces with several international partners to host a 'TV style debate' on indoor air pollution. The event was held in the UN headquarters on 7th May, and partners including the World Health Organisation, GTZ and the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air. Each panellist was given three minutes to make a short proposition on how to solve the problem of access to clean cooking energy among the poor and to prevent associated health problems. Carlos Corvalan, WHO, set the scene for the discussions stressing that the world faces a double energy crisis: At the global level, climate change is receiving much needed attention, including on the health consequences. At the local level, 1.5 million people die each year as they wait to gain access to affordable cleaner fuels or cooking technologies. Action is required on many fronts, including commitment by government to endorse a target to reduce dependence on unhealthy household energy. Building on her research on the health impacts of indoor air pollution and a large-scale Indian household survey on perceptions, Jyoti Parikh from Integrated Research and Action for Development, India stressed the need for capacity-building in energy management and pollution management as well as the need to sensitize health centres. A mitigation of the indoor air pollution problem on a large-scale will require measures at micro-, meso- and macrolevels. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo, Energy Commission, Uganda emphasized that extensive public awareness campaigns on the health impacts of indoor air pollution are critical in achieving uptake of improved stoves: being aware of the personal investment they can make in health, households are willing to pay more for cooking technologies. He also highlighted the need for a long-term government commitment through policies, targets and strategies addressing household energy and biomass energy. "How much does health cost?" was the question raised by Kimball Chen, who represented the World Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association but also drew on his experience in working with the public sector in China and other countries. A switch to liquefied petroleum gas not only requires an increased purchasing power among households, but also physical access to cleaner fuels. Consistent national energy policies over time are essential if the private sector is to invest in setting up the infrastructure to deliver cleanerfuels. Drawing on the many similarities between the sanitation and the household energy sector, Arno Tomowski from the German Technical Cooperation, Germany highlighted the cross-sectoral nature of the problem as well as the major investment need. His wishlist for moving ahead included (i) more attractive and modern cooking technologies, (ii) awareness about the damaging impacts of current practices and social marketing to generate demand for change, (iii) capacity development among entrepreneurs, (iv) more sustainable wood fuel production, and (v) the need to develop national or regional biomass energy strategies. Moderated by Chris Powell, WHO, many of the more than 60 people in the audience challenged the panellists with questions and offered their views on how to increase access to cleaner cooking energy. The event was web-cast. |
Email your MP about the killer in the kitchen
Smoke from domestic fires continues to claim a life every 20 seconds in the developing world. Despite growing recognition of the problem, the international community is still failing to act. Susan Kramer MP, former Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for International Development, has recently tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons in support of Practical Action's work and calling for more action from the British government on indoor air pollution and energy access for the poor. Email your MP now
Position statementPractical Action prepared a joint position statement on Household Energy, Indoor Air Pollution and Health for governments ahead of CSD 15, and held a side event at the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting of the CSD in New York, March 2007. Household Energy, Indoor Air Pollution and Health: Position Statement for the 15th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development |
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Practical Action also organised a side event at the CSD on Financing energy access for the poor: unfounded hopes or unfunded realities?Wednesday 2 May, 18:15-19:45 |
