The World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) has officially joined the Council on Ethanol Clean Cooking (CECC), an initiative hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Council aims to create a sustainable ethanol industry and establish value chains in developing countries by sharing best practices, providing technical assistance, and advancing technologies.
As an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), WBAF is dedicated to increasing financial inclusion, particularly in least developed countries. By joining the CECC, WBAF underscores its commitment to women’s empowerment through its role as a CECC Council Member.
(ANGEL INVESTOR REVIEW) – On November 11, 2022, the CECC was officially launched during COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The event was attended by key government representatives, including the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Côte d’Ivoire, the Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development of Mali, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar and the Ministry of Energy of Kenya. The launch was spearheaded by Mr. Gustave Aboua, Chairman of the Working Group for establishing the Council.
The CECC was established following an Expert Group Meeting held in June 2021 in Vienna, organized by UNIDO, the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), the African Union Commission (AUC), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL). The meeting culminated in a call to action to create a multi-stakeholder platform for promoting ethanol as a clean cooking fuel. Consequently, a working group, including representatives from Côte d’Ivoire, India, Kenya, the Philippines, and development partners like the IEA Biofuture Platform, FAO-Global Bioenergy Partnership, and SEforALL, developed the governance framework for the Council.
Jossy Thomas, Industrial Development Officer at UNIDO, welcomed WBAF’s membership, stating, “We are pleased to recognize WBAF’s alignment with the CECC’s core objectives and values. WBAF’s commitment to fostering sustainable business practices and financial inclusion is highly regarded. We believe WBAF’s participation will significantly enhance our collective efforts to advance clean cooking in developing and least developed countries. The CECC warmly welcomes WBAF as a trusted partner.”
Baybars Altuntas, Executive Chairman of WBAF, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “The objectives of the CECC closely align with our global mission to enhance financial inclusion and empower women for economic development. Topics such as responsible finance, women empowerment, increased financial inclusion, and impact investment are shared priorities between WBAF and CECC. We believe that WBAF’s membership in CECC will significantly contribute to the global promotion of ethanol clean cooking by leveraging our extensive network of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, NGO leaders, and thought leaders across 148 countries.”
