African countries secure $900 million in new clean cooking commitments

IEA: Polluting cooking fuels linked to 850,000 premature deaths yearly

The $900 million in new funding announced Thursday builds on the $2.2 billion mobilized at the inaugural Africa Clean Cooking Summit in Paris in 2024, bringing total commitments to more than $3.1 billion, the IEA said.

The funding will be used to expand access to cleaner cooking fuels, stoves and related infrastructure across the continent. The announcement came during a virtual meeting on clean cooking in Africa convened by the IEA and Kenya, where leaders reviewed progress since the last summit and outlined priorities for the next gathering scheduled later this year.

Nearly 1 billion people across Africa lack access to clean cooking and rely on charcoal, firewood and other polluting fuels. The IEA estimates that household air pollution from these sources contributes to approximately 850,000 premature deaths in Africa each year.

The 2024 summit, held in Paris, raised $2.2 billion in initial pledges. The new $900 million commitment brings total pledged funding to more than $3.1 billion.

Kenyan President William Ruto, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, African Union commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Lerato Mataboge, and IEA executive director Fatih Birol were among those who participated in the meeting.