Sustainability and Climate Neutrality at IU

This IU Group-financed Micro-Scale Voluntary Project Activity, in Kasungu, Malawi, provides safe drinking water to communities. It reduces the need to boil water as a means of purification through the repair of damaged boreholes and the drilling of additional new ones in the Traditional Authorities of Santhe and Kawamba located in Kasungu District. By providing safe water, the project will ensure that households consume less firewood during the process of water purification. As a result there will be a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from combustion.

As part of this project, we support the replacement of conventional and less efficient cookstoves in Uganda with improved cookstoves. Three objectives are being pursued: reducing fuel consumption, improving the health of the population in Uganda, and reducing deforestation.

More than 90% of households in Uganda use firewood or charcoal for cooking. Therefore, cooking with wood is one of the main reasons for deforestation in the country. Since the improved cookstoves distributed within this programme are much more efficient, they use significantly less wood. This not only saves CO2 emissions but also improves people's health by reducing indoor air pollution.

This project empowers women microentrepreneurs in rural areas by providing micro-loans for solar lamps and water filters, crucial in regions where reliable power is scarce. Solar lamps replace kerosene lamps, reducing carbon emissions and risks of fire and respiratory diseases. Water filters eliminate the need to boil water, saving time and decreasing pressure on local forests by reducing firewood demand.

These initiatives improve daily life: children can study after dark, and shop owners extend business hours. Organised into self-help groups, women support each other and promote clean energy use. Clean energy leaders manage product servicing, while demonstrators educate others, spreading the benefits of sustainable practices. By reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing living conditions, this project contributes significantly to climate action and community well-being.

In Zambia, open-fire cooking is a major contributor to household air pollution, posing significant health risks. This climate project aims to distribute improved cookstoves to households. These stoves burn biomass fuels more efficiently, significantly reducing greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, which benefits both human health and the environment. The project also fosters local employment opportunities and enhances indoor air quality, leading to fewer respiratory issues. Moreover, families benefit from reduced fuel costs and time savings, illustrating the far-reaching impact of transitioning to more sustainable cooking practices.