Statement from the Clean Cooking Alliance on the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa
The CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) Dymphna van der Lans released a statement on the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa being held today in Paris:
“As we gather for the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, today marks a significant step forward in the global effort to achieve universal access to clean cooking. The Summit underscores the urgency of addressing a global crisis that is too often overlooked and woefully underfunded.
One message is clear — we must move beyond bold commitments. This moment, this global crisis that impacts the lives of billions of people around the world every day, requires decisive action from governments, businesses, civil society, and philanthropic partners. This is not a time for half-measures or incremental progress. We need bold, transformative action that puts clean cooking at the center of our global agenda.
We are grateful for the leadership of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Dr. Fatih Birol, as well as event co-chairs: President of Tanzania H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister of Norway H.E. Jonas Gahr Støre, and President of the African Development Bank Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina. Clean cooking is not merely a matter of environmental concern. It is a profound health and climate challenge affecting nearly one-third of the planet’s population. Four out of every five Africans are forced to cook with heavily polluting fuels like charcoal, kerosene, and wood. Women and children are the worst affected.
Solving the cooking crisis is within our reach. It’s also a good investment. While cooking with polluting fuels costs the global economy more than $2 trillion every year, the IEA estimates that just $4 billion a year is needed to achieve clean cooking access for all African people by 2030. This will require a blend of traditional and innovative finance, including carbon finance, which has already contributed to important sector growth and holds potential for so much more impact, strengthened by initiatives like the CCA-led Principles for Responsible Carbon Finance in Clean Cooking, launching at today’s Summit.
As this important convening showcases, together, we can unlock the immense potential of clean cooking to improve lives, empower communities, and safeguard our planet for future generations. We must seize this moment and commit ourselves to nothing less than a clean cooking revolution — one that leaves no one behind.
