African countries have secured an additional 900 million US dollars in new financing to expand access to clean cooking technologies, bringing total international commitments to 3.1 billion dollars since the inaugural Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa held in Paris in 2024.
The new commitments were announced on Wednesday during a high-level virtual meeting convened by the co-chairs of the second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, bringing together leaders from Kenya, Norway, the United States, the African Union, the African Development Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The funding comes as Africa continues to face one of the world’s largest clean energy deficits, with nearly one billion people still lacking access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.
According to the IEA, household air pollution from traditional cooking methods contributes to about 850,000 premature deaths across the continent every year, with women and children bearing the greatest burden.
For Uganda, where the overwhelming majority of households continue to depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking, expanding access to cleaner fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), electricity, biogas and improved cookstoves is seen as critical to reducing deforestation, improving public health and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
The International Energy Agency said the newly announced 900 million dollars builds on the 2.2 billion dollars pledged during the first Clean Cooking Summit in Paris.
According to a new progress report released on Wednesday, about 740 million dollars of those earlier commitments have already been disbursed across 22 African countries.
The report also indicates that more than 30 African countries have introduced 121 new clean cooking policies since the first summit, covering countries that account for roughly 80 percent of Africans without access to clean cooking.
Although Uganda was not specifically mentioned among the countries that have received funding, the country has in recent years stepped up efforts to promote clean cooking through its Energy Transition Plan, improved biomass cookstoves and increased use of LPG as part of broader climate and energy access initiatives.
During the meeting, the African Union and the IEA pledged continued support to African governments to strengthen national policies ahead of the next Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, which is expected to build on commitments made over the past two years.
The meeting also launched a new Clean Cooking Security Programme, an initiative led by the IEA to strengthen global supply chains for clean cooking fuels.
The agency said disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year affected nearly 30 percent of globally traded liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), highlighting the vulnerability of fuel supplies relied upon by more than 3.4 billion people worldwide.
Under the programme, countries will receive policy and market support to improve domestic fuel security while exploring opportunities for greater international cooperation on clean cooking.
The virtual meeting also marked the first plenary session of the newly reconstituted Clean Cooking Alliance, now operating as a multilateral initiative hosted by the IEA. Twelve countries participated in the inaugural meeting, with additional countries considering membership.
Kenyan President William Ruto said expanding clean cooking across Africa would require substantially higher investment than is currently available.
“Ambition alone is not enough. It must be backed by investment. Closing the continent’s clean cooking access gap will require investment at scale, yet annual financing remains far below what is needed,” Ruto said.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the agency had committed to tracking both financial pledges and their implementation to ensure the commitments translate into improved access for households.
“More than one-third of the funds pledged in 2024 has already been disbursed in just two years. New partners have now committed a further 900 million dollars, with additional commitments expected before the next summit,” Birol said.
The co-chairs said they will use upcoming international meetings, including the United Nations General Assembly, the G20 and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP), to mobilise further investment and maintain political momentum towards universal access to clean cooking across Africa.
Uganda remains one of the countries where traditional biomass dominates household cooking.
According to government and international energy statistics, more than 85–90 percent of households still rely on firewood or charcoal as their primary cooking fuel.
This dependence contributes to forest degradation, indoor air pollution and significant health risks, particularly for women and children, making clean cooking a key component of Uganda’s energy transition and climate commitments-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
