Advancing Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Commitment to Action

Advancing Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Commitment by

Dow Corning Corporation

In 2011, Dow Corning committed technical, human, and financial resources to make a material change in the two million deaths that occur annually from toxic chemicals released from traditional cookstoves, one of the world's leading environmental, health and social problems Providing global leadership and grassroots support, Dow Corning embedded employees to implement the use of clean cookstoves and has provided the first installment of the total $5 million in unrestricted support over five years Dow Corning pledged to the United Nations Foundation-led Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Through Dow Corning's leadership and Citizen Service Corps, engineers, scientists, business professionals and executives have worked with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and its partners in the field to help empower women and create a thriving global market for clean, efficient cookstoves.

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Tabs

Overview

Summary

Commitment

Advancing Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Launched

2011

Est. Duration

5 Years

Estimated Total Value

$5,000,000

Region

Latin America & Caribbean, Asia, Africa

Countries

BRAZIL, CHINA, ETHIOPIA, INDIA, INDONESIA, KENYA, NIGERIA

Commitment by

Dow Corning Corporation

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

United Nations Foundation, CDC Development Solutions, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Details

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
Through the Dow Corning Citizen Service Corps, engineers, scientists, and business professionals will work with the Alliance partners and in the field on specific projects. Through these immersion projects, participants discover and experience first-hand the realities of life in emerging (and grossly underserved) markets, engage their global colleagues for information and assistance, use their expertise to leave a tangible contribution to the problem in place, and gain insight for innovation and further sustainable, market solutions. Dow Corning will also contribute leadership to the global effort - from a vice president to serve on the Global Alliance Advisory Board to experts and professionals to serve on various Alliance working groups (e.g. standards and testing, technology and fuels, monitoring and evaluation, reaching consumers, manufacturing issues, etc.). Finally, in terms of financial support, Dow Corning has pledged a fully funded $5,000,000 contribution in unrestricted funds to the UN Foundation, which leads the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. This will help allow the UN Foundation to serve in its role as secretariat for the Alliance.
Engage & Immerse Employees: at least one Citizen Service Corps team (about 10 people) will be embedded in a developer, manufacturer, distributor, or marketer of clean cookstoves for a specific project (usually four weeks) each year 2012-2015. Citizen Service Corps teams are charged to 'discover, serve, and innovate,' working in markets in which the company has no real experience. They engage their colleagues around the world to solve problems through e-mail, blogs, teleconference and other social media - offering all 10,000 employees a clear line of sight and an opportunity to contribute solutions to complex problems they would not otherwise understand or face. (Note: all high performing employees with requisite language skills - including non-exempt and union colleagues - are eligible for the Citizen Service Corps).
Leverage Expertise: we will seek appropriate engagement on at least 2 of the Alliance's global work groups (e.g. standards and testing, technology and fuels, monitoring and evaluation, reaching consumers, manufacturing issues, etc.) depending on the work group needs and our relevant experience including technology development, manufacturing and logistics, business processes, and commercial operations.
Provide Leadership: at least one senior executive will serve on the Advisory Board for the Global Alliance (2011-2015) to ensure business perspective and effective cross-sector collaboration towards solving this complex problem.
Make Financial Investment: we have pledged $5 million in unrestricted funds over 5 years to the UN Foundation as secretariat to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, beginning in 2011.
Encourage Others to Contribute: we will communicate our commitment broadly to the people with whom we touch in our business - suppliers, distributors, customers, communities - around the world. We hope our example will show how service can be used to make an effective contribution to complex problems and at the same time provide new insight for future innovation and sustainable business solutions.
IMPLEMENTATION, TIMELINE, AND DELIVERABLES
2011 - Make commitment; contribute $1 million to the UN Foundation; executive joins global advisory board; identify appropriate work groups and alliance partner organizations for integration; identify Citizen Service Corps potential projects; announce globally our commitment to this effort.
2012 - Contribute $1 million to the UN Foundation; provide active executive leadership to global advisory board; active participation on at least 2 work groups, while identifying other opportunities; assign and conduct at least one Citizen Service Corps project to Clean Cookstove Alliance; communicate commitment and progress broadly to stakeholders; serve as an example of a cross-sector approach (business, government, non-profit) to collaborate for solutions; report progress and impact of contributions.
2013 - Contribute $1 million to the UN Foundation; provide active executive leadership to global advisory board; active participation on at least 2 work groups, while identifying other opportunities; assign and conduct at least one Citizen Service Corps project to Clean Cookstove Alliance; communicate commitment and progress broadly to stakeholders; serve as an example of a cross-sector approach (business, government, non-profit) to collaborate for solutions; report progress and impact of contributions.
2014 - Contribute $1 million to the UN Foundation; provide active executive leadership to global advisory board; active participation on at least 2 work groups, while identifying other opportunities; assign and conduct at least one Citizen Service Corps project to Clean Cookstove Alliance; communicate commitment and progress broadly to stakeholders; serve as an example of a cross-sector approach (business, government, non-profit) to collaborate for solutions; report progress and impact of contributions.
2015 - Contribute $1 million to the UN Foundation; provide active executive leadership to global advisory board; active participation on at least two work groups, while identifying other opportunities; assign and conduct at least one Citizen Service Corps project to Clean Cookstove Alliance; communicate commitment and progress broadly to stakeholders; serve as an example of a cross-sector approach (business, government, non-profit) to collaborate for solutions; report progress and impact of contributions.

Background

Exposure to toxic smoke from traditional cookstoves and open fires - the primary means of cooking and heating for nearly three billion people in the developing world - causes nearly two million premature deaths annually. This is the fifth worst threat to public health in the developing world - with women and young children most at risk. There has never had a unified, collaborative effort to address this silent and invisible human crisis until the U.S. Government (Departments of State, Energy, and Health and Human Service; and the Environmental Protection Agency) and the UN Foundation brought forward a commitment to an alliance (Alliance for Clean Cookstoves) at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative to enable 100 million households to adopt clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020. Companies like Dow Corning have a powerful role to play in such complex problems. The alliance is formed in part due to the inability of one sector of the global economy to carry this alone; it requires the capital, leadership, technical and business expertise of people with material science and global manufacturing experience.

Partnership Opportunities

OFFERING: Financial Resources, Best Practice Information, Media/Marketing Opportunities
Dow Corning is specifically offering partnership in the context of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, including expertise in material science, manufacturing, business and leadership and financial support.

Progress Reports

March 2012
Dow Corning remains committed to making a material difference with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. The organization has made an initial contribution of $1,000,000 to the United Nations Foundation, enabling that organization to serve as the alliance secretariat. As an advisory member to The United Nations Foundation, Dow Corning participated in regional meetings in the U.S., India, and Germany to raise awareness of the necessity for expanding the use of clean cookstoves. The organization has served and continues to serve as an example of a public-private partnership to other organizations.