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Clean Cooking at COP26
Read our recap from this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference
Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) CEO Dymphna van der Lans and Chief of Staff and External Affairs Jillene Connors Bolopolsky joined numerous partners at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, ensuring that clean cooking was at the forefront of conversations on climate action and sustainable energy transitions.
Clean cooking was highlighted throughout the summit, including as a leading topic at the SDG7 Pavilion, which served to unite energy stakeholders to mobilize bold commitments and actions for energy around the world.
“No serious conversation can be had about achieving SDG7 or any of the other SDGs for that matter, without consideration for women and girls with a major focus on clean cooking solutions at all levels within the value chain.”
— H.E. Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana
Thanks to the collective efforts of the many organizations working to prioritize clean cooking! See below for a recap of some of the many clean cooking-related events, announcements, and media coverage from COP26.
Highlights
Climate & Health: Advancing Clean Energy Access
Held at the U.S. Center, this event on climate and health equity with U.S. EPA Administrator Regan, USAID, Power Africa, CCA, SEforALL, and WHO showcased the U.S. government’s new “whole of government” approach to increasing sustainable access to household energy.
Gender & Energy Compact
On COP26’s “Gender & Innovation Day,” the launch of the Gender & Energy Compact kicked off with a panel of women experts and leaders, including two CCA Leadership Council Members — Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and H.E. Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana – who called for greater action to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition while highlighting the importance of integrating gender approaches in policy and practice. CCA CEO Dymphna van der Lans announced CCA’s commitments as part of the compact, including providing gender advisory services to clean cooking enterprises, supporting to female entrepreneurs with professional and mentorship programs and developing new partnerships to enhance gender empowerment and energy access.
Africa-Europe Climate Alliance
The Africa-Europe Foundation hosted a side event on cross-continental climate alliances, discussing topics such as reaching net zero through clean cooking and electrification, the importance of youth voices in climate action discussions, and the need for increased investment and accountability.
Empowering Governments to Lead Clean Cooking Transitions
CCA presented on the Delivery Units Network, which aims to transform how clean cooking is positioned in national policymaking, and was joined by ENERGIA, the Development Bank of Rwanda, The Energy Nexus Network, and the Kenyan Ministry of Energy to discussed how this approach can empower governments, unlock financing, and accelerate progress on clean cooking.
Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 Action
The UN released a new Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 Action, which includes clean cooking, with a 2025 milestone for 1 billion more people to gain access to clean cooking solutions on the road to 2030.
Read the Roadmap
Rwanda Clean Cooking Energy Compact
The Government of Rwanda launched a Clean Cooking Energy Compact that aims to accelerate access to modern cooking solutions.
Read the CompactOther Announcements and Articles
- H.E. Samira Bawumia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana and CCA Clean Cooking Champion, spoke on Gender & Innovation Day and called on the global community to commit more resources, political will, and to incorporate more female perspectives in the design and implementation of clean energy solutions, to enable us achieve the ambitious targets of SDG7. Watch her speech here (starting at 3:36:50);
- CCA discussed Delivery Units to help governments reach clean cooking and energy goals. Learn more about Delivery Units here.
- The Climate & Clean Air Coalition hosted an event at the COP26 Health Pavilion on World Pneumonia Day on the connection between air pollution, climate change, and health;
- SEforALL published weekly recaps highlighting the biggest moments at the COP26 Pavilion. See the Week 1 and Week 2 recap;
- CCA published a new blog on the importance of clean cooking to reach global climate goals. As an often overlooked climate solution, the clean cooking sector needs more investment to ensure a sustainable clean energy transition; and
- Wired Magazine published a special feature on clean cooking as part of its COP26 climate coverage.
Panelists Dymphna van der Lans (CCA) and Sheila Oparaocha (ENERGIA) at the “Empowering Governments to Lead Clean Cooking Transitions” side event at COP26