By Isaac Jali
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Chipiliro Mpinganjira has commended Swiss energy firm Klik Foundation for investing in Malawi’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by helping communities switch from charcoal to clean energy.
He was speaking in Lilongwe during the launch of the implementation of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement in Malawi.
Through the bilateral climate agreement between Malawi and Switzerland, Klik Foundation is financing initiatives to promote clean cookstoves and biogas to reduce household dependence on firewood and charcoal.
Mpinganjira said the initiatives were helping change the mindset of rural communities and encouraging them to adopt alternative energy sources.
Speaking in Lilongwe during the launch of the implementation of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement in Malawi, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Chipiliro Mpinganjira said such projects had helped change the mindset of rural communities, encouraging them to switch to alternative energy sources.
He said charcoal produces toxic fumes that are harmful to women and children, besides degrading the environment, hence the need to embrace new energy solutions.
Mpinganjira also said investments by Klik Foundation on behalf of the Swiss Government demonstrated that countries such as Malawi could be rewarded for reducing emissions through sustainable agriculture and clean energy interventions.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Malawi Fenella Frost commended Malawi for taking advantage of the opportunities presented by carbon markets.
Meanwhile, Director of Carbon Procurement at the Foundation for Climate Protection and Carbon Offset, Klik Foundation, Darja Aepli, said the bilateral agreement would enable rural communities without access to the national electricity grid to benefit from various affordable energy solutions.
Article 6.2 provides a framework for countries to cooperate in reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement.
The investment follows a results-based climate financing approach. Since 2022, Klik Foundation has been working with countries that have bilateral climate agreements with Switzerland under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Other partners implementing clean energy initiatives in Malawi include Ecogen and Sistema.
