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Nairobi, Kenya: African leaders and international partners gathered at COP29 on Tuesday to address the urgent issue of clean cooking, a crisis impacting 1.2 billion people across the continent. The event highlighted the devastating health, environmental, and economic consequences of relying on traditional biomass fuels.
“It is unacceptable that women are still dying because they lack access to clean cooking solutions,” said Tanzania’s Vice President Philip Mpango, speaking on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The session called for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to deliver safe and sustainable cooking options.
The reliance on polluting fuels costs Africa approximately $791.4 billion annually, with a significant portion attributed to health-related impacts.
“We must prioritize investments in clean cooking infrastructure and support policies that enable access to affordable and sustainable cooking solutions for all,” Mpango urged.
Kevin Kariuki, African Development Bank Group Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth, echoed the call for action. “Clean cooking is not just a health issue; it is a matter of human dignity.” He emphasized the need to mobilize at least $4 billion annually to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.
At the Paris Summit in May 2024, the African Development Bank pledged to allocate 20 percent of its energy project financing to clean cooking alternatives, securing $2.2 billion in commitments from the public and private sectors.
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, urged collaborative action. “We have the knowledge and the tools to make a difference. It is imperative that we come together—governments, the private sector, and civil society—to implement innovative solutions.”
Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, highlighted the daily hardships faced by women who spend hours gathering fuel and suffering from indoor air pollution. “We must ensure that clean cooking solutions reach every corner of Africa to protect the lives of women and children,” she stated.
The event featured insights from Rashid Abdallah, head of the African Energy Commission (AFREC), who presented findings from a new report on “Sustainable Scaling: Meeting the Clean Cooking Challenge in Africa.” He announced the launch of the African Clean Cooking Program, aimed at creating a comprehensive strategy and action plan to improve clean cooking access across the continent.
Joseph Ng’ang’a, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, stressed the importance of integrating clean cooking solutions with electrification efforts. He emphasized the need to make clean cooking appliances affordable and ensure the necessary infrastructure and policies are in place.
The discussions highlighted the need to integrate clean cooking into broader energy access strategies to ensure that no African is left behind in the shift to sustainable energy.
