Promoting Clean Cook Stove Technology with Beijing’s Leaders

BEIJING (Apr. 21, 2015) – The Global Environmental Institute (GEI) held an exchange workshop on its comparative study of clean stove promotion models today and marked the conclusion of the GEI project on the same topic.

The Workshop Group – GEI 2015

30 people from Chinese and international organizations attended the workshop including UNDP SGP, Golden Standards, Asia Development Bank, the Ministry of Agriculture of China, the Rural Energy and Environment Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, and China Alliance for Clean Stoves.

Promotion vs. Donation Model

Unlike a donation model, through with the clean cookstoves would be delivered to the village and given to the people directly, a promotion model integrates a market-based mechanism. The GEI project taught cook stove salesmen the benefits of the clean cookstoves and encouraged them to educate the locals at the time of purchase. The promotion model is an innovative way to disseminate the technology and information about the stoves’ benefits in a sustainable way.

During the workshop, GEI Program Officer, CAO Sirui shared the findings from the GEI project and report and highlighted the roles of NGOs, Government and companies in the promotion of clean cookstoves.

Roles of NGOs:

1. Think tanks: to analyze requirements with an overall consideration of as many factors as possible including economic effects;
2. Points of leverage: to stimulate supply and demand by providing small grants or subsidies to enhance publicity without impacting on the premise and development of the market;
3. Complement-ers: pay more attention to vulnerable groups in order to realize equitable distribution of natural resources, by complementing government and business models.

Action points for Government:

1. Provide more support for technological innovation;
2. Take advantage of the government’s credibility and outreach to conduct large-scale publicity and awareness raising;
3. Formulate monitoring and evaluating mechanisms;
4. Allow neutral third parties to conduct evaluations with sound laws and regulations providing a framework for necessary punishments.

Suggestions for Companies:

1. Creating unified industry rules, particularly in the areas of technology patents, copyright and information sharing;
2. Valuing quality and after-sales services;
3. Building a system comprising the entire process of production, sales and after-sales where organizations are capable of doing so;
4. Establishing a local sales network.

       Ms CAO addresses the workshop – GEI 2015    

Expert Feedback

During the workshop, experts from the development sector comprising representatives from the Government, NGOs, Foundations, Development Banks and more shared their perspectives on the promotion model’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as future opportunities.

Madame Jin Jiaman, GEI’s Executive Director

Mme JIN Jiaman – GEI 2015

“There is a big trend in using market models to promote clean stoves, which will guarantee the sustainable promotion of clean stoves.”

Ms. Liu Yi from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Small Grants Program (SGP)

Ms Liu Yi – GEI 2015

“[The project’s goal] is to demonstrate the promotion model of energy-saving, low-emission clean stoves and improve air quality in rural areas with health benefits to rural residents.”

More Expert Views

• Ms. Sun Renhua, Assistant Engineer from the Rural Energy and Environment Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, introduced cases of promoting clean stoves in China.

Ms Sun Renhua – GEI 2015

• Ms. Liu Haomiao from the Environmental Defense Fund introduced EDF’s clean stove promotion project in Hebei province. The project uses a combination model comprising government subsidy, money from households and earnings from the sale of carbon credits. Ms. Liu spoke frankly from her project experience, explaining that while it is easy to control the use of coal in more densely populated areas, it can prove difficult in rural areas where households are more dispersed.

 

• Mr. Zhang Yue from China Alliance for Clean Stoves (CACS) introduced a joint cooperative project between CACS and Beijing University of Chemical Technology, which provides a successful case of clean stove promotion.

 

• Mr. Li Jianghua from the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation, being a child from a rural household in southwestern China, shared his thoughts about the necessity to promote clean stoves based on actual needs. He said that due to the upward mobility of the rural population and trend of young people moving to work in cities, it is also necessary to provide education to the elderly population that is left behind.

Mr. LI Jianghua – GEI 2015

• Ms. Liu Yuanling from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences also suggested to enhance education provision among rural residents and encourage the use of biomass stoves. When discussing the disadvantages of biomass briquetting machines which include the need for a big space, adequate humidity and a large amount of supplies, she suggested building a briquetting station in one village so as to process agriculture residues collectively.

Ms LIU Yuanling – GEI 2015

• Ms. Liu Yi from the UNDP SGP stressed that the key to promoting clean stoves is to analyze the different needs in different areas, so as to meet the needs of local rural residents better. According to Ms Liu, NGOs should act as a bridge between government, rural residents and companies so as to promote the use of clean stoves. She also urged further cooperation among the attendees and other peer organizations to determine the most suitable clean stoves based on the different needs of local residents in different area and to build an information sharing platform.

 

• Mr. Shen Yueming from Asian Development Bank stated his support for the event which he believes provides a good opportunity for NGOs to share their project experience and results, thus promoting further cooperation and development.

Mr. Shen Yueming – GEI 2015

About the GEI Project in Shanxi Province

The GEI project facilitated a promotion model of donation rather than a hand-out model, which is used by the Chinese government, companies and other NGOs over the course of 2014 in Xiaoliandian village, in China’s Shanxi province.

The project was support from the UNDP SGP and Global Giving Foundation and conducted by a team consisting of GEI, Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Cummins Emissions Solutions (China). By the end of December 2014, GEI had donated 175 biomass stoves to residents of Xiaoliandian village and sold 1,200 stoves in Ruicheng county. In order to determine the optimal model for promoting the use of clean stoves, GEI wrote a comparative analysis report on the two promotion models.