BURN hosts Malawi delegation on clean cooking and carbon finance

BURN welcomed a Malawi government delegation to its Njuli facility near Blantyre on Aug. 12 to showcase local manufacturing, stove distribution and carbon finance tied to the country’s climate goals. The visit comes as BURN expands in Malawi with more than 166,000 stoves distributed, 400 local jobs created and authorization to generate 3.5 million carbon credits.

Why it matters: - Malawi has set a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 51% by 2040 from a business-as-usual baseline. - BURN’s Malawi program links that target to local manufacturing, cleaner cooking access and international climate finance. - The company’s carbon credits are eligible under the international CORSIA scheme, which can strengthen the value of climate projects.

What happened: - BURN hosted a delegation from Malawi’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at its facility in Njuli, near Blantyre. - The delegation was led by Deputy Minister Hon. Chipiliro Mpinganjira, MP, and Principal Secretary Dr. Misheck Yagontha Munthali. - The visit focused on how BURN’s operations support Malawi’s clean cooking and climate ambitions. - The delegation also visited two BURN customer households in Ndirande Ward, Blantyre.

The details: - BURN received a Letter of Authorisation on Sept. 24, 2024. - Since then, BURN has distributed 166,235 clean cooking stoves across Malawi. - BURN has employed 400 people locally and built manufacturing and distribution operations across the country. - BURN is authorized to generate 3.5 million carbon credits from its Malawi clean cooking activities. - BURN’s Malawi portfolio includes more than 160,000 biomass stoves distributed across Lilongwe, Mwanza and Blantyre. - Some of those stoves include digital sensors. - BURN is also piloting electric stoves in Lilongwe and Blantyre. - Customer Margaret Chirwa said switching to BURN’s ECOA Char stove reduced her daily fuel cost from about $3 to about $1. - Chirwa said the cleaner stove has helped her cook three meals a day and reduce smoke-related coughing among her children.

Between the lines: - The visit signaled government interest in carbon markets as a way to support national climate goals without relying on public funding alone. - The focus on local jobs and manufacturing suggests Malawi wants climate projects to create in-country economic benefits, not just emissions reductions. - BURN’s mix of biomass, LPG, institutional and electric cooking products points to a broader strategy than a single stove type. - The household visit gave the government delegation a direct look at how carbon finance can translate into lower fuel spending and health benefits.

What's next: - BURN said it aims to bring clean cooking to every household in Malawi. - The company’s target is to distribute 2 million stoves by 2030. - BURN plans to keep expanding locally manufactured solutions, growing its national footprint and working with government and partners to scale climate action. - Malawi and private-sector partners are expected to continue working on carbon market development and access to international climate finance. - More information is available in BURN's company profile.

The bottom line: - Malawi is treating clean cooking as both a household-level solution and a climate-finance strategy, with BURN positioned as a major delivery partner.