IEA at COP28: A call for action: universal access to clean cooking in Africa

Dubai time: 5 December 2023, 18:00-19:00.

Today, 2.3 billion individuals globally — nearly a third of the world’s population — continue to prepare their meals over open fires or rudimentary stoves, exposing themselves to hazardous smoke emitted from burning coal, charcoal, firewood, agricultural residues, and animal dung. In Africa alone, this affects close to a billion people — constituting approximately 70% of the continent. The just energy transition is incomplete without addressing the clean cooking access gap. A full transition to clean cooking in Africa could avert around 900 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually – making universal clean cooking access an essential pillar of Africa’s Net Zero ambitions. Clean cooking features in the majority of African NDCs — but climate finance is crucial to realise these plans.

This event presents an opportunity to gather decision-makers from governments, industries, and investors to discuss how to catalyse progress in achieving clean cooking for all in Africa, which is currently far off-track. Participants will demonstrate how new business models, financing and investment schemes, supportive policies and accelerated deployment of existing solutions can contribute to clean cooking, creating co-benefits for health, livelihoods, and the environment.

You can follow the event live here.