A new International Energy Agency (IEA) report, “Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa: Progress update and roadmap to implementation“, shows that universal access to clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa is achievable by 2040 with $37 billion in investment, less than 0.1% of global energy spending. Currently, 1 billion Africans use polluting fuels, causing over 800,000 deaths annually. The roadmap outlines locally tailored solutions, mainly using LPG and electricity, with significant benefits: millions of lives saved, time freed for women and girls, and nearly 500,000 new jobs. Growing policy momentum and $2.2 billion in commitments from the 2024 summit signal a turning point for clean cooking in Africa. The IEA writes:
One billion people in Africa still lack clean cooking solutions but IEA’s new roadmap shows cost-effective path to eradicate major energy poverty, health and development issue
African countries can close one of the continent’s most harmful energy and development gaps in just 15 years if they replicate the progress seen in other developing economies, according to a new IEA report showing how universal access to clean cooking could be achieved across sub-Saharan Africa by 2040.
Today, four in five families across the continent still cook with polluting fuels like wood, charcoal or dung, often over open fires or basic stoves. These practices contribute to over 800 000 premature deaths each year due to household air pollution – mostly among women and children – and trap millions more in poverty with significant impacts on health, gender equality and economic opportunity. […]
Achieving universal access in Africa requires $37 billion in cumulative investment to 2040, equivalent to roughly $2 billion per year, or less than 0.1% of what the world invests annually in energy. This includes upfront spending on household equipment such as stoves, fuel cylinders and canisters, as well as enabling infrastructure like fuel distribution networks, storage terminals and electricity grid upgrades.
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