Africa Gains $900 Million for Clean Cooking Solutions

African countries received $900 million in new financial commitments last Thursday to expand access to clean cooking technologies, according to the International Energy Agency. This funding supplements $2.2 billion pledged at the 2024 Africa Clean Cooking Summit in Paris, raising total commitments to over $3.1 billion.

Nearly one billion people in Africa currently rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking, contributing to approximately 850,000 premature deaths annually from indoor air pollution. Women and children are disproportionately affected by the health impacts of this pollution, as they spend the most time near cooking fires.

The new investments will support clean cooking technologies like ethanol, biogas, and electric stoves. Roughly one-third, $740 million, of the initial $2.2 billion pledge has already been deployed to 22 countries. Leaders emphasize that sustained investment is crucial to address the challenge and reach all those in need, as the total cost is estimated to be far beyond the current $3.1 billion.