3 June 2024
On Monday 3rd June 2024 we mark the UK launch of a unique coalition of global property companies, world-renowned chefs, public health and climate experts calling for an accelerated move away from cooking with fossil fuels to transition to healthier, affordable and safer electric kitchens – powered by renewable energy.
The UK launch of the Global Cooksafe Coalition (GCC) at London’s Silo restaurant brings together industry leaders and sector experts around a shared vision for the future of cooking. Lendlease Europe and Grosvenor Property UK joined the coalition as property partners and committed to phase out gas from all new kitchens in their developments by 2030, and to retrofit existing properties with electric power by 2040. They join a growing movement of forward-thinking leaders around the world, including GCC’s international partners already transitioning to electric-only kitchens across combined property portfolios exceeding £120 billion.
Kitchens are important because they are often a catalyst or ‘gateway decision’ encouraging the installation of gas-fired heating systems in new buildings – and buildings are a major source of carbon emissions. “Globally, the built environment is responsible for almost 40% of greenhouse gases related to energy consumption,” says Cristina Gamboa, CEO, World Green Building Council. “The International Energy Agency (IEA) has clearly spelt out that energy efficiency and electrification of buildings is essential to deliver net zero by 2050 – that won’t happen without electrifying kitchens.”
The electrification of kitchens is backed by some of Britain’s finest chefs who’ve joined the GCC as Chef Ambassadors, including Chantelle Nicholson and John Chantarasak, who together delivered a superb master-class of cooking with electric-powered induction hobs during the launch event at Silo – demonstrating how technological advances in modern induction hobs deliver exquisite taste and unparalleled control and quality for both professional chefs and cooks at home.
The growing momentum for GCC’s cooking revolution is driven by a number of factors, crucially to raise awareness of the dangerous health impacts caused by toxic gases, such as nitrogen dioxide and benzene, that are released into kitchens and homes when we cook with gas stoves. The health risks are particularly alarming for children – researchers found that in the UK an estimated 11.5% of childhood asthma cases could be avoided when the risk factor of cooking with gas is removed.
But central to GCC’s remit is the imperative for every household to have access to affordable energy – it is the cornerstone of the electric cooking revolution.
Recent world crises of energy insecurity and rocketing gas prices are a salient reminder that fossil fuels are ‘commodities’ subject to volatile markets and world events, whereas renewable energy is an infinite ‘resource’ on our doorstep – and also now the cheapest form of electricity in the world.
The UK has been a world leader in developing renewable capacity, with renewables providing 42% of total electricity in 2022, from a starting point of just 3% in 2000. The IEA forecasts the global energy mix will be transformed by 2028. Opportunities to transition to affordable, renewable energy at scale in the short term, combined with proven savings from energy-efficient electrical appliances, offer a solution to the unaffordable energy bills that millions of people are struggling with today.
With clear, publicly available and ambitious targets, GCC’s mission is to drive the phase-out of dangerous fuels from our home kitchens, restaurants and commercial buildings. With an unprecedented alliance of cross-industry partners and sector experts, they aim to lead the way to a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future for us all.
