SCI Official Side Event at COP30: Solar Cooking for an Energy-Efficient Future

On November 13, Solar Cookers International (SCI) hosted an official side event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil. Centered on “Building Resilient & Energy-Efficient Systems: Response Measures for Climate Mitigation & Adaptation,” the session convened an intergenerational dialogue on integrated approaches that strengthen resilience, promote energy efficiency, and prioritize inclusive solutions for vulnerable communities and youth.

Speakers included SCI Strategic Partnerships Manager Keith Wingeard, SCI Program & Science Director Alan Bigelow, Ph.D., and Polycarpe Charlemagne Mandayen, CTCN Focal Point and National Designated Entity for Climate Technology Transfer for the Central African Republic (CAR). Together, they shared successful mitigation and adaptation strategies illustrating how community-driven, energy-efficient technologies can advance both climate and social resilience.

During the session, SCI highlighted its collaboration with the UN Environment Programme’s Climate Technology Centre & Network (UN CTCN), which is supporting CAR in its effort to deploy zero-emission solar cooking across the country. With clean cooking access below 1% for its 5.4 million people and 98% of households relying on wood, CAR faces an urgent crisis of deforestation, household energy insecurity, and preventable health harms.

The event emphasized the transformative potential of solar cooking—offering a scalable, zero-emission solution that reduces pressure on forests, improves family health, and enhances climate resilience. SCI’s official COP30 dialogue underscored the need for inclusive, accessible technologies that protect communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Learn how your support of SCI is bringing clean, solar cooking solutions to families worldwide. Click here.

Photo credits: Caitlyn Hughes