New “Tracking SDG7 Report” Calls for Urgent Action on Clean Cooking
The 2024 Energy Progress Report offers a comprehensive overview of global advancements toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), with a strong focus on clean cooking. Despite notable progress, the report highlights significant access gaps that require urgent attention — and a dramatic increase in funding — to meet 2030 targets.
Published by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the United Nations Statistics Division, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization, the report found that in 2022, approximately 74% of the global population had access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, marking a 16% increase since 2010.
Renewed political momentum within the context of G7, G20, and new financial commitments made at the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa are buoying prospects for accelerating access later this decade. However, the current rate of progress, while significant, leaves more than 2 billion people still forced to rely on polluting fuels such as charcoal, wood, and kerosene for cooking (Figure 2.1), resulting in 3.2 million premature deaths each year.
Regional Advancements and Disparities
Much of Asia has seen significant progress on clean cooking access since the early 2000s, significantly reducing the access deficit across the region.
However, sub-Saharan Africa still lags far behind, as the number of people without access to clean cooking is actually increasing, primarily due to rapid population growth outpacing efforts to expand clean cooking infrastructure. In 2022, about 923 million individuals in sub-Saharan Africa — three out of every four people — still lacked access to clean cooking technologies (Figure 2.2).
If current trends continue, the access deficit in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to exceed 1 billion people by 2030.
Urban-Rural Divide
The report found a continuing urban-rural disparity in access to clean cooking. Urban areas generally have better infrastructure, leading to higher access rates. For instance, in 2022, 88% of urban residents had access to clean cooking, compared to just over half (54%) of rural residents. In sub-Saharan Africa, this divide is even more stark, with only 7% of rural households having access to clean cooking technologies.
Without greater effort, most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will miss the 2030 universal access target. Therefore, greatly accelerated progress is urgently needed if the world is to achieve universal access by 2030. In 44 countries, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, a rise of 8–12 percentage points per year above current trends is needed to reach 100 percent access from 2022 to 2030 (Figure 2.3).
Gaseous Fuels Lead the Way
A look at the specific fuels and technologies used by LMICs in 2022 reveals that gaseous fuels such as liquified petroleum gas, natural gas, and biogas were the main cooking energy for 60 percent of people (Figure 2.12), with electricity for 8 percent. Biomass, including wood, charcoal, and dung, remained the main fuel for 30 percent of people, and coal and kerosene for less than 2 percent.
Policy Insights and Required Actions
To bridge the access gap and meet the 2030 targets, the report outlines several key actions and policy recommendations:
1. Political Commitment and Integration into National Policies: Sustaining the momentum requires strong political will and integrating clean cooking goals into Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. This approach helps align clean cooking initiatives with broader climate goals, leveraging resources and climate finance to support these efforts.
2. Investment in Infrastructure and Technology: Significant investments in clean cooking infrastructure and technology are crucial. The report estimates that annual investments need to increase from the current $2.5 billion to $8 billion by 2030 to meet the targets. This includes developing comprehensive policy frameworks and providing financial incentives to encourage the shift from traditional fuels to cleaner alternatives.
3. Focus on Gender-Sensitive Solutions: Women and girls are disproportionately affected by household air pollution and the labor-intensive task of fuel collection. Policies must prioritize gender-sensitive solutions that address these challenges, empowering women through involvement in educational and entrepreneurial activities and decision-making processes.
4. Addressing Urban-Rural Disparities: Specific strategies are needed to tackle the unique challenges faced by rural areas. This includes improving infrastructure, enhancing service availability, and ensuring a reliable energy supply. Urban areas, while better served, still require attention to maintain and improve access levels.
The Way Forward
Achieving universal access to clean cooking is not only a significant climate and health win, but also a critical component of a just and sustainable energy transition. However, current trends indicate that, by 2030, nearly 1.8 billion people will still lack access to clean cooking solutions if no additional actions are taken, with over a billion of those people living in Africa.
The report underscores the need for immediate and focused interventions to address these challenges. By integrating clean cooking into national and international agendas, increasing investment, and focusing efforts on empowering women and rural areas, the global community can make significant strides toward achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030. The time to act is now, and the benefits of doing so will resonate across health, climate, and social dimensions, paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
