Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that approximately 2.3 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean energy sources and primarily rely on firewood, kerosene, and coal for cooking. This is equivalent to more than a quarter of the world's population without access to clean cooking, a percentage of 28.7% of people.
In Brasil, approximately 14 million people do not have access to clean energy sources, so they cook mainly with firewood, kerosene, and charcoal. This situation not only represents an energy issue but also raises public health and gender debates, especially considering that women predominantly handle food-related tasks in households.
Thus, four Brazilian ministries and G20 Brasil work coordinators came together in a side event on the subject, promoted within the scope of the last technical meeting of the Forum's Working Group (WG) on Energy Transitions. At the "Women in Energy Transition" event, the ministries of Women (Women's Empowerment WG), Mines and Energy (Energy Transitions WG), Social Development and Fight against Hunger (Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty), and Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic (G20 Social) discussed the international aspect of the agenda and made two announcements of federal competence.
The Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, reinforced that many women still do not have access to the minimum, remembering the significant change in the national scenario, with the "Programa Luz para Todos" (Light for All Program), in which the most benefited were women, precisely because of the impact on domestic tasks with the possibility of using refrigerators, electric stoves, and other appliances. "However, we also need to move forward in an important discussion for the world, which is women's roles in the energy sector. We need women not only to be at the bottom of the structure but also to have access to science and technology so that we can actually be where we need to be, which is in positions of power," she added.
"We have a non-negotiable responsibility to correct the error of gender inequality, and we know that the traditional energy sector is predominantly male. We are putting an end to this. The participation of women is not a concession but an essential condition for the success of the just and inclusive transition,"agreed the Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira.
Brazilian projects serve as inspiration for other countries
The "National Policy for the Promotion of Clean Cooking" is the first integrated policy for universal access to clean cooking technologies in Brasil, aiming to fight energy poverty and serve as an example, as the presidency of the G20, to the other largest economies in the world. It will promote access to clean technologies for cooking food by gradually replacing the inappropriate use of firewood, charcoal, and other materials in indoor environments. The Policy will be an instrument of planning, diagnosis, and clear goal definition. It will update the Brazilian scenario every two years and join another important action launched in September, Gás para Todos (Gas for All), which intends to expand the Gas Benefit project to 20.8 million families by 2025.
The "Sustainable Solidarity Kitchens" foresees the installation of biodigesters and solar panels in seven kitchens strategically mapped throughout Brasil in the cities of Foz do Iguaçu (PR), Brasília (DF), Ananindeua (PA), São Leopoldo (RS), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Fortaleza (CE) and Boa Vista (RR). The expectation is to reach 100 solidarity kitchens throughout the country by the end of 2025. What we are starting today is a joint work from the Solidarity Kitchen Program to make these kitchens sustainable, using organic waste to produce biogas and solar panels to generate energy, reducing expenses, ensuring quality food for those who need it most, and preserving the environment," said the Minister of Social Development, Wellington Dias.
The first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, highlighted the importance of energy security for women and girls in a message. "The initiative of sustainable solidarity kitchens brings a political and pedagogical proposal. With the pilot project, we will be able to promote environmental education and gender equity," she said.
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The event initiative is a partnership with Itaipu Binational Dam, the Brazilian Biogas Association (Abiogás), and Cáritas. The G20 Energy Transitions ministerial meeting will take place tomorrow (October 4th) in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná, where the Itaipu Dam is located.
