THE UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), has unveiled an awareness campaign called 'Anzia Jikoni', unofficially translated to 'Start in the Kitchen' Climate Mitigation.

The UNCDF is the main implementer and fund manager of the 17 million Euro funded by the European Union (EU)'s CookFund Frogramme.

The revelations were made on Thursday during a workshop for media professionals aimed at sharing knowledge on the transformative potential of clean cooking technologies in addressing health, environmental, and social challenges.

The workshop highlighted the need for public, development stakeholders and private sector to collaborate for the sustainable growth of the clean cooking energy market.

Speaking during the workshop, Senior Finance Specialist and CookFund Programme Manager, Mr Imanuel Muro, said EU funding supports clean cooking energy market development, enhances capabilities.

"EU funding complements and leverages on our expertise in sustainable development finance to enhance the capabilities of companies and enterprises to develop the clean cooking, and with Anzia Jikoni, we will be able to accelerate adoption by the end user," he said.

Adding; "UNCDF believes that by equipping journalists and media houses with the necessary knowledge and resources, we can collectively contribute to mitigating climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals."

Similarly, the data-driven narrative around cooking is demonstrated by 85 per cent of the population using biomass, raising the alarm that climate change mitigation starts in the kitchen.

Mr Muro added, "As journalists, you play a crucial role in communicating the importance of behaviour change in cooking to a broader audience for generational impact."

The Euro-17-million CookFund programme falls under the broader 'Integrated Approach to Sustainable Clean Cooking Solutions Programme in Tanzania.