Four in five African families still cook over open fires or with polluting fuels like wood and charcoal. It’s a practice that kills 800,000 people a year and traps millions in poverty.
But a new report from the IEA says the problem can be fixed in just 15 years – if governments move fast and work together.
The IEA’s latest analysis, Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa, lays out a bold but achievable roadmap to bring clean cooking to every household by 2040. It maps infrastructure and affordability down to the square kilometre and provides country-level strategies based on real-world conditions.
“This new IEA report provides a clear, data-driven roadmap for every household across Africa to gain access,” said Executive Director Fatih Birol.
“The problem is solvable with existing technologies, and it would cost less than 0.1% of total energy investment globally.”
Under the roadmap, 80 million people would gain access to clean cooking each year – seven times faster than today.
Most would use LPG but options like electricity, bioethanol, biogas and advanced biomass stoves would also play a role.
Cities would reach near-universal access by 2035, with rural areas following through the 2030s.
The price tag?
Just $37 billion (£28.5 billion) by 2040 – about $2 billion a year, less than 0.1% of global energy spending.
The benefits, though, are massive. More than 4.7 million lives saved, 460,000 new jobs, and women and girls recovering two hours a day for work or education.
“There is an opportunity to accelerate efforts on one of the most consequential investments the world can make for Africa’s future,” Birol added, pointing to South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025.
The report builds on momentum from the IEA’s 2024 Summit on Clean Cooking, which mobilised $2.2 billion in commitments. Already, $470 million has been disbursed and 10 out of 12 African governments involved have introduced new clean cooking policies.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said: “Clean cooking is not a luxury. It’s an issue that touches every family, every day… But we cannot do it alone.”
The IEA says it will keep tracking pledges and progress as it pushes for a cleaner, fairer energy future for the continent.
Africa can achieve ‘clean cooking’ by 2040 appeared first on Energy Live News.