PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday launched a $1.8bn (4trn/-) 10- year national clean cooking energy programme.

At an event in the commercial capital, the president directed key agencies to facilitate the proper implementation of the programme, aimed at mitigating the main effects of climate change.

She expressed concerns over the intensity of harmful effects of unsafe cooking energy like firewood and charcoal, especially on women, demanding that the strategy be included in the envisaged National Development Vision 2050.

The government needs to establish a specialised fund to facilitate the mobilisation of funds for accessing clean cooking energy, she said, hinting that the performance of regional commissioners will partly be evaluated in relation to this agenda.

"Clean cooking energy access should be part of the performance grading criteria to ensure the agenda reaches the majority of the population," she said.

In the next three months the Vice President's Office will have ensured that all institutions that serve more than 100 people have stopped using firewood and charcoal in cooking, she stated.

 In 2022, President Samia called for the formulation of a clean cooking energy strategy, citing research findings that 90 percent of the population uses unsafe domestic fuels.

Clean cooking energy offers opportunities for employment and room for collaboration among stakeholders, she said, urging the private sector to be involved in its implementation.

"Clean cooking energy is a cross-cutting issue needing all stakeholders to work together," she asserted, underlining that the strategy will help the government to mitigate climate change effects.

Data shows up to 466,000 hectares of woodland are lost annually for firewood and upwards of 33,000 people die due effects of unsafe cooking fuel, she said, insisting that this situation cannot be allowed to continue.

The population needs to be protected from hazards of the lack of clean cooking energy, she said, elaborating that Tanzania's development journey cannot be realized without the change, urging concerted efforts among stakeholders.

New technologies enabling prepaid gas connections to households will facilitate access to clean cooking energy, she said, noting that the private sector needs to use available strategies to promote the shift from traditional cooking fuel.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said Tanzania is among countries that are highly affected by climate change effects, where unsafe cooking energy is part of the problem.

The 10 year strategy will be a tool for collective efforts in mitigating climate change and ensuring the use of clean cooking energy among Tanzanians, he stated.

The strategy document offers policy direction on how to execute plans for clean energy cooking nationwide, he stated, noting that government institutions have already started using clean energy.

Dr Doto Biteko, the deputy prime minister and Energy minister, said the strategy is geared to ensure that the public as a whole finishes the shift to clean energy in ten years’ time, with only about 10 percent of Tanzanians using clean energy at present.