The Impact of Unsafe Cooking Energy in Tanzania
The use of unsafe cooking energy sources, such as firewood and charcoal, poses significant challenges to health, society, the economy, and the environment. In Tanzania, these issues have been recognized as critical barriers to sustainable development. To address them, both the national government and the global community have set strategies aimed at reducing or eliminating the use of these harmful energy sources.
One of the key international frameworks guiding this effort is the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 7 (SDG 7), which aims to ensure universal access to sufficient, safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy. This goal is part of a broader set of 17 objectives established in 2015 by the UN General Assembly, with the aim of achieving them by 2030. Clean energy, including clean cooking energy, is not only relevant to SDG 7 but also closely linked to other goals such as SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
In addition, clean energy aligns with the implementation of Tanzania’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These commitments reflect the country's efforts to combat climate change while promoting sustainable development.
Progress in Clean Energy Adoption
Tanzania has made notable progress in increasing the share of clean energy in its electricity mix. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), clean energy sources contributed only 37 percent of the electricity mix in 2015. By March 2025, this figure had nearly doubled to 70 percent. This shift highlights the growing commitment to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power.
However, clean energy is not limited to electricity generation. It also includes clean cooking solutions, which are essential for improving public health and reducing environmental degradation. Tanzania has emerged as a leader in the adoption of modern energy solutions across Africa. At the global climate change conference (COP28) held in Dubai in December 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan chaired a meeting of African Heads of State focused on clean cooking energy. The event also marked the launch of the African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP).
National Strategy for Clean Cooking Energy
At the national level, the government launched the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy (2024–2034) in May 2024. This strategy aims to ensure that at least 80 percent of Tanzanians will be using clean cooking energy by 2034. The initiative was informed by the 2022 National Cooking Energy Implementation Plan, which revealed that approximately 82 percent of the country’s primary energy supply comes from biomass sources such as firewood and charcoal.
For cooking alone, nearly 90 percent of households rely on firewood and charcoal, with firewood accounting for 63.5 percent and charcoal for 26.2 percent. The widespread use of these fuels has severe consequences.
Health, Environmental, and Social Impacts
The use of dirty cooking fuels has serious health implications. Smoke from firewood and charcoal contains toxic gases and fine particles that can damage the respiratory system, leading to chronic illnesses such as coughing, pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma, and lung cancer. These toxins can also cause pregnancy complications, premature births, and health problems in newborns.
Other smoke-related diseases include heart disease, eye problems, high blood pressure, and paralysis. Children under five and women who spend long hours in the kitchen are particularly vulnerable. Many also suffer from back, head, and leg injuries due to carrying firewood on their heads or backs. Approximately 33,000 people die each year in Tanzania from respiratory illnesses caused by indoor air pollution.
The environmental impact is equally alarming. The harvesting of firewood and charcoal production leads to extensive deforestation, destroying about 469,420 hectares of forest annually. This contributes to drought, ecosystem disruption, and desertification, with around 16 percent of the country’s land at risk.
Socially, the task of collecting firewood often falls on women and children, exposing them to risks such as gender-based violence, rape, wild animal attacks, and domestic abuse. This also limits their participation in social and political activities.
Addressing the Challenges
To achieve widespread adoption of clean cooking energy, collaboration among stakeholders is essential. The private sector plays a vital role in ensuring reliable and sustainable access to clean cooking solutions, raising awareness, and promoting public understanding.
Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) is actively involved in this effort. Under its slogan “Building Together,” MCL is committed to providing education, developing programs, and implementing initiatives to help low-income households access clean cooking solutions. The company works with the government to identify policies and regulations that hinder progress in this area.
MCL also aims to ensure that clean cooking energy distribution networks, equipment, and stoves reach all corners of the country while creating employment opportunities in the clean cooking energy sector.
Upcoming Events and Initiatives
In early September 2025, MCL will host the Clean Cooking Energy Forum under the theme “Clean Cooking: Saving Lives and the Environment.” This event will bring together stakeholders to discuss, exchange experiences, and advance the clean cooking energy agenda in Tanzania.
Ahead of the forum, an online discussion titled “What Needs to Be Done for Tanzanians to Use Clean Cooking Energy to Protect Their Health and the Environment” will take place on August 11, 2025, on X (formerly Twitter). The platform will explore innovation, policy, and the people driving the clean energy transformation—and why change must happen now.
MCL will continue publishing special features before, during, and after the forum through videos, photos, and stories from across Tanzania, shared via its newspapers and online platforms. The content will examine issues of health, environment, gender equality, youth innovation, policy, law, and regulation, and discuss solutions that can transform the lives of every Tanzanian.