Event - AEEP Energy Talks: Fuelling Partnerships: Investing in Clean Cooking for Health, Equality, and Climate in Africa
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- Cooking
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- Climate Change
Approximately 1 billion people, or four out of five Africans, rely on highly polluting cooking fuels used in open fires or basic stoves to prepare their daily meals. Promoting clean cooking solutions in Africa holds significant potential to reduce health risks, enhance gender equality, and achieve economic empowerment. By minimising women and children’s exposure to household air pollution, decreasing the time spent on cooking, and eliminating the need for firewood collection, valuable time can be redirected towards productive economic or educational pursuits, leading to transformative impacts for women, their families, and communities.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that annual capital investments of 4 billion US dollars are needed to ensure that everyone in Africa has access to clean cooking by 2030. During the Clean Cooking in Africa Summit, held in May 2024 in Paris, governments, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector pledged to make clean cooking a priority, announcing USD 2.2 billion in public and private sector funding, financing, and investment for clean cooking in Africa. Additionally, the European Union announced the mobilisation of 400 million euros for clean cooking activities under the Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative. As part of the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package, the European Union has committed to mobilise up to €150 billion in investments for Africa between 2021 and 2027 to accelerate an inclusive, green, and digital transition. An example is the € 12 million, Regional Clean Cooking Action in West Africa – ReCCAWA initiative, which aims to increase access to clean, efficient, sustainable, and affordable cooking solutions in the region by strengthening enabling frameworks, proposing innovative financing, and promoting scalable business models.
The 15th AEEP Energy Talks will showcase these and other bicontinental programmes and initiatives, aiming to learn from best practices and discuss scaling up efforts for clean cooking solutions in Africa within the framework of Africa-EU partnerships.
