NAIROBI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Tuesday pledged to promote clean cooking solutions in order to combat air pollution.
Charles Keter, Cabinet Secretary of Ministry of Energy told a conference in Nairobi that currently, 75 percent of households use wood fuel including charcoal and firewood as the primary cooking fuel.
"This means that there is great exposure to harmful pollutants that are one of the largest health risk factors for mortality in Kenya, resulting in about 21,560 deaths annually," Keter said during the opening session of the clean cooking forum.
Keter noted that the government has made great strides in the formulation of regulations and standards to spur sustainable growth and investment in the clean cooking sector. "These measures have seen an accelerated growth of the clean cooking manufacturing and value chain, leading to job creation and contributing to economic growth," he added.
Keter observed that Kenya has formulated a progressive energy policy and enacted a robust Energy Act 2019, geared towards the provision of affordable and sustainable energy services, including clean cooking.
Under the Paris Agreement to combat climate change, Kenya has committed to reducing its greenhouse emissions by 30 percent where clean cooking is expected to contribute about 14 percent of this target.
