Final answer:
The "100 by 20" goal was an initiative by the Global Alliance for Cookstoves to enable clean cooking in 100 million households by 2020, aiming to mitigate indoor air pollution. Due to practical issues such as difficulty of maintenance, high costs, and failure in the expected health outcomes, the initiative faced significant challenges. These difficulties mirror the overall challenges faced by low-income countries in adopting environmentally friendly technologies without compromising their economic growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Global Alliance for Cookstoves' goal of "100 by 20" referred to the objective to foster the adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels in 100 million households by the year 2020. This initiative was aimed at reducing indoor air pollution, which has been identified as a significant environmental health risk globally. Despite optimism around the potential benefits of such technology, real-world challenges, such as maintenance difficulty, high costs, and product unreliability, have impeded their effectiveness and the expected health improvements. Similarly, other technologies aimed at economic growth, such as the distribution of hybrid seeds, face issues of authenticity and quality, as highlighted by the example of the low authenticity rate of hybrid maize in Uganda.
The broader context of this discussion relates to how low-income countries approach international environmental clean-up efforts. These countries often argue that they should not bear the disproportionate burden of environmental policies that can hinder their economic growth, especially considering their minimal historical contribution to global pollution compared to high-income countries.