Nairobi: The co-chairs of the upcoming second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa convened a high-level virtual event today to assess progress in expanding clean cooking access across the continent. They also announced new financial and policy commitments amounting to $900 million ahead of the summit.
According to Emirates News Agency, the session brought together influential figures, including President William Ruto of Kenya, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St¸re of Norway, United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, African Union Commissioner for Energy and Infrastructure Lerato Mataboge, and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. The participants highlighted clean cooking as a critical energy security challenge, with nearly 1 billion people in Africa lacking access, resulting in approximately 850,000 premature deaths annually. They pledged to maintain political focus on the issue and mobilize the necessary investment to address the access gap.
Dr. Birol announced the new financial commitments, which build upon the $2.2 billion mobilized at the inaugural 2024 Paris Summit. Of the 2024 commitments, $740 million has already been deployed across 22 African countries, as reported by comprehensive IEA tracking in a new status report published today. The report also notes significant policy progress since the first Summit, with 121 new clean cooking policies introduced across more than 30 countries, covering 80% of Africans without access to clean cooking.
The African Union and the IEA are actively supporting countries to enhance policy ambition leading up to the next Summit, aligning with a pan-African clean cooking strategy and action plan. Participants discussed how the Summit's co-chairs, along with the African Union and African Development Bank, can ensure clean cooking remains a priority. They highlighted the potential of leveraging multilateral forums, such as the United Nations General Assembly, the G20, and COP, to build on current announcements and achieve stronger outcomes at the rescheduled Summit.
During the meeting, Dr. Birol also introduced a new public-private initiative led by the IEA, aimed at strengthening the resilience of clean cooking supply chains globally. This initiative responds to disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which affected 30% of globally traded liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a primary cooking fuel for over 3.4 billion people. The Clean Cooking Security Programme will offer targeted policy and market assistance to bolster domestic fuel security and explore pathways for enhancing global cooperation.
The event also marked the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) as a multilateral initiative hosted by the IEA. Building on its role in advancing access to clean cooking, the Alliance welcomed twelve countries to its first plenary meeting, with more considering membership. In collaboration with the IEA, the Alliance aims to strengthen support for country-led implementation and help translate commitments into measurable progress.