EU-Zambia Lobito Corridor Business Forum
The EU-Zambia Lobito Corridor Business Forum in Lusaka, Zambia on 12-14 November will bring together participants from government, business, finance, and development to unlock the full potential of one of Africa’s most strategic economic corridors.
This Forum is designed as a platform that will forge concrete business partnerships, mobilising capital, and aligning policies that will accelerate the corridor’s development for the benefit of our people. Together, the participants will explore opportunities in three priority areas — energy, agriculture, and the production and manufacturing of critical raw materials — while also addressing cross-cutting issues such as urban development, environmental sustainability, and ESG best practices.
Read more about the EU-Zambia Business Forum
MCFA is organising a session on Leveraging carbon finance to accelerate clean cooking access in Zambia at the Forum on Friday 14 November, which will bring together MCFA financed companies, donors, and consultants.
MCFA session: Leveraging carbon finance to accelerate clean cooking access in Zambia
Date & time: 14 November, 11:30-13:00
Location: Conference venue, Ballroom 3 located by the terrace
Access to clean cooking remains a significant challenge in Zambia, where most households still rely on traditional biomass for cooking. This not only contributes to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions but also poses serious health risks, particularly for women and children. However, the clean cooking sector is evolving, with business models emerging that are increasingly leveraging carbon finance to scale operations and reach underserved communities.
The Modern Cooking Facility for Africa (MCFA) is playing a catalytic role in Zambia in this transformation by supporting private companies to deliver modern, affordable, and sustainable cooking solutions to their customers. With new MCFA investees, contracted through the second funding round, this session provides a timely opportunity to explore how carbon finance can unlock further investment and growth.
Event Agenda
11:30 – 11:35 Welcome and opening remarks
11:35 – 12:20 Panel Discussion
12:20 – 12:30 Audience Q&A
12:30 – 12:55 Celebration of new MCFA agreements in Zambia
12:55 – 13:00 Closing remarks
Panelists: Anders Arvidson, Team Leader, Power Africa Team at Sida,
Ruth Gichuhi, Senior Manager at EED Advisory, Anantha Karthik, Group Vice President of Carbon at UpEnergy and Mattias Ohlson, CEO, at Emerging Cooking Solutions
Moderator: Russell Lyseight, Catalyst Energy Advisors
Event description
The panel discussion explores different business models for scaling up access to modern cooking solutions and dives into how clean cooking companies in Zambia are engaging with carbon markets to scale their operations. It will unpack the practical realities of accessing carbon finance, the strategic role it plays in business models, and how donors and investors can help de-risk and accelerate its use. It also explores the various barriers to accessing carbon finance, and discusses risks related to overreliance on carbon credits and various strategies to mitigate that.