Media
MAPUTO, Mozambique – 22 March 2013
Thelma Venichand, Director of Sales and Marketing receives 2013 International Woman of Courage Award
US Ambassador in Mozambique Douglas Griffith awarded Thelma Venichand, Director of Sales and Marketing at CleanStar Mozambique with the prestigious International Women of Courage award for her commitment and success in helping Mozambican women to transition from charcoal to a clean, safe cooking solution. Established in 2007, the annual Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award honors women around the globe who have exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress, often at great personal risk. This is the only Department of State award that pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide.
An article about the award can be found here, translation available here
MAPUTO, Mozambique – 13 February 2013
Nick Clegg, UK Deputy Prime Minister visits CleanStar Mozambique
During an official visit to Mozambique, UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg visited CleanStar Mozambique’s operations in Maputo. Mr. Clegg had the opportunity to visit one of the first Ndzilo shops in Mavalane and the house of one of our earliest customers. The Deputy Prime Minister appreciated CleanStar Mozambique’s contribution to improve urban energy access in the cooking sector.
An article about the visit can be found here
NEW YORK, NY – 3 December 2012
CleanStar Mozambique featured in WWF Report
CleanStar Mozambique has been featured with 10 other businesses in the recent WWF Green Game-Changers report for its sustainable business innovation in integrating food and clean energy production.
The WWF Report can be downloaded here
NEW YORK, NY – 6 November 2012
CleanStar Mozambique wins the “Beyond Business Award” from This is Africa, a specialist publication of the Financial Times.
By launching its inaugural sustainable business award, This is Africa wants to recognize the companies that best develop and implement sustainable practices, both in core areas of business – or shared value, and in peripheral areas such as CSR and philanthropy. CleanStar Mozambique received the “Beyond Business Award” in the “Environment and Natural Resources Management” category, demonstrating the importance of its committment towards social and environmental impact.
Find the article of This is Africa here
NEW YORK, NY – 16 October 2012
Clean Cookstoves can save lives: Rocky Dawuni, new ambassador for the Global Alliance of Clean Cookstoves mentions CleanStar Mozambique in a recent article in the Huff Post
“On September 24 in New York, as they (the Alliance) celebrated their second year anniversay I heard some fascinating announcements, including: a $9 million investment in CleanStar Mozambique; an innovative ethanol fuel program and Alliance partner, from the Soros Economic Development Fund and the Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries.”
“As a musician, I understand my role in making a difference in my community, to genuinely communicate with my mind and my heart and to connect with people through words. Throughout my career I’ve made it a point to stand up and speak out when it matters — particularly on issues related to the health and economic advancement of women and children.”
Find the article of the Huff Post here
NEW YORK, NY – 27 September 2012
CleanStar Mozambique and SEDF featured in Fast Company
Following the announcement of the new investment into CleanStar Mozambique by Soros Economic Development Fund and the Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries, CleanStar has been featured in several media outlets, including Fast Company.
Find the article of Fast Company here
NEW YORK, NY – 19 September 2012
Soros Economic Development Fund and IFU invest in CleanStar Mozambique
The Soros Economic Development Fund and the Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries announced today investments of nearly $9 million in CleanStar Mozambique, with the option to invest more in potential pan-African expansion.
“CleanStar Mozambique has found a commercial and scalable way to alleviate poverty in Africa,” said Stewart Paperin, president of the Soros Economic Development Fund. “This venture creates jobs, increases food security, and has sustainable environmental benefits. We’d like to see the charcoal replacement business operate successfully in dozens of countries throughout the continent.”
“Our team has seen this venture move from concept into implementation in record time,” said Finn Jonck, IFU’s Managing Director. “We are delighted to now come on board.”
The Press release can be found here.
The Wall Street Journal exclusive on the deal can be found here.
NEW YORK, NY – 18 July 2012
CleanStar Mozambique, winner of Bioenergy Finance Deal of the Year award.
Leading global magazine Environmental Finance awarded CleanStar Mozambique with the Bioenergy Finance Deal of the Year Award for its innovative, vertical integrated model that “brings together biofuels, carbon credits, sustainable agriculture and avoided deforestation”, as reported in the magazine.
“It’s one of the very few ventures that we came across that simultaneously secures an alternative and sustainable fuel supply in the rural environment whilst also helping channel consumer spend towards environmental protection” says Abyd Karmali, Head of Carbon Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and member of CleanStar Mozambique’s Advisory Council.
More information about the award can be found here
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – 19 June 2012
CleanStar Mozambique receives award from Richard Branson.
Sagun Saxena, Greg Murray and Stefan Maard received the “Screw Business As Usual Award” from Sir Richard Branson for the innovative work done by CleanStar Mozambique on sustainable energy. CleanStar Mozambique was put forward for the award by the U.N. Foundation.
A video about the ceremony can be found here & here
A press release can be downloaded here
LONDON, UK – 14 June 2012
CleanStar Mozambique receives Special Commendation as Sustainable Investment of the Year from IFC and Financial Times.
Greg Murray, Managing Partner of CleanStar Ventures attended the FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference & Awards 2012 and received a Special Commendation for CleanStar Mozambique as Sustainable Investment of the Year.
Now in their seventh year, The FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards are the major global awards for environmentally and socially responsible banking and investment. The 2012 Awards attracted 161 entries from 145 financial institutions and 36 non-financial groups in 67 countries.
More info can be found here
LONDON, UK – 29 May 2012
Domestic fuel in Mozambique: from charcoal to cassava, CleanStar Mozambique featured in the Guardian.
The Guardian Development Network reports about CleanStar Mozambique on the occasion of the launch of its operations.
The article can be found here
NEW YORK, NY – 25 May 2012
9 Reasons CleanStar Mozambique is Rio-Ready: CleanStar Mozambique on the Rio+20 website.
Andrew Yager, Senior Economic Affairs Officer in the Division for Sustainable Development at the United Nations talks about CleanStar Mozambique in view of the Rio+20 Conference.
Access the article here
NEW YORK, NY – 18 May 2012
Swapping Out Charcoal With Ethanol: CleanStar Mozambique featured in the New York Times.
The NYT Green Blog reports about the launch of CleanStar Mozambique operations and interviews Thomas Nagy, Executive Vice President at Novozymes, about the venture.
The article can be found here
DONDO, MOZAMBIQUE – 17 May 2012
Press Release: CleanStar Mozambique launches world’s first sustainable cooking fuel facility.
The document can be found here
MOZAMBIQUE – 16-18 May 2012
TreeHugger and Triple Pundit visit CleanStar Mozambique during the launch of the company’s operations.
TreeHugger: Charcoal Kills 2 Million People & Vast Swaths of Forest Every Year. Can Biofuel stop the Carnage?
Triple Pundit: The Avon Lady Comes to Mozambique, Hawking Cookstoves
The articles can be found here (TreeHugger) & here (Triple Pundit)
WASHINGTON, DC – 22 February 2012
Business solutions to enable energy access for all: CleanStar Mozambique featured in World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s publication.
CleanStar Mozambique has been featured as a case study in a new WBCSD publication, presented on the occasion of an event organized by WBCSD and Aspen Institute in Washington, DC on February 22nd.
Download the publication here
NEW YORK, NY – 30 January 2012
CleanStar Mozambique featured in UN High Level Panel on Global Sustainability’s Report Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing
“Thousands of smallholder farmers will be engaged to create a food and ethanol cooking fuel production facility, implement sustainable farming practices and lay the groundwork for economically and ecologically sustainable communities.” Page 41 of the Report.
12 January 2012
CleanStar Mozambique included in the 2011 Best of Inclusivebusiness.org
24 November 2011
“Clean Food, via Clean Fuel”: CleanStar Mozambique featured in Biofuel Digest
“CleanStar Mozambique’s approach simultaneously tackles five key issues in sub-Saharan Africa: energy access, rural development, food and nutrition security, deforestation, and respiratory disease and deaths arising from indoor charcoal combustion… [..] ..a venture to pay close attention to. If it gets scale, it could go far – very far, in addressing climate change, while promoting stronger rural economies in the developing world, reducing deforestation, and promoting health.”
LONDON, UK – 23 November 2011
Bank of America Merrill Lynch provides carbon finance to CleanStar and Novozymes Clean Cooking Fuel Venture in Africa
Bank of America Merrill Lynch announced a multi-million CER (Certified Emissions Reductions) financing agreement with CleanStar Mozambique. Under the agreement, Bank of America Merrill Lynch has an option to purchase and market CERs generated in Mozambique and other least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa through displacement of charcoal with clean cooking fuel. The carbon finance and revenues received by CleanStar will be used to subsidize the upfront cost and ongoing warranty for the clean cook stoves, technology that would otherwise be too expensive for lowincome African consumers.
12 October 2011
“ICM Designs Cassava Ethanol Plant in Mozambique”: CleanStar Mozambique featured in Alternative Energy Newswire
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Novozymes and CleanStar Ventures in this project,” said Dave Vander Griend, president and CEO of ICM. “Our employees put a tremendous amount of thought into the design in order to determine what equipment will work best for a location that has limited capabilities for overnight delivery. We are very proud to support CleanStar Mozambique in reducing exposure to breathing charcoal smoke through enhanced cooking practices, and improving the health and livelihood for millions of people living in the developing world.”
23 September 2011
CleanStar Mozambique featured in TreeHugger: “Trading Charcoal for Sustainably Farmed Biofuel in Africa”
Novozymes Vice President Thomas Nagy describes the partnership with CleanStar Ventures announced at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative.
September 2011
Novozymes and CleanStar Ventures featured in UN Global Compact Report: A Global Compact for Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Business Action
On the occasion of the Private Sector Forum 2011, the UN Global Compact launched its new report A Global Compact for Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Business Action. The Framework was developed in support of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s initiative Sustainable Energy For All aimed at mobilizing key constituencies from all sectors of society in a major global initiative intended to shape the fundamental policy and investment decisions needed to put countries on a more sustainable energy pathway over the next two decades.
The Framework aims to motivate and guide business engagement and action in support of the initiative. In keeping with the initiative’s 2030 targets, the Framework identifies how companies can have the most significant impact – through their core business operations as well as product and service development; through social investments and philanthropy; and through advocacy and public policy engagement.
Novozymes and CleanStar Ventures are featured in the Section “Sustainable Energy in Business Practices”, page 15.
NEW YORK, NY – 21 September 2011
Novozymes pioneers food-energy venture in Africa
Novozymes and environmental venture group CleanStar Ventures are to jointly establish an integrated food–energy business in Mozambique that will replace thousands of charcoal-burning cookstoves with cleaner ethanol stoves…
Download Press Release 
