New commitments to clean cooking in Africa reach $900 million ahead of 2nd major Summit

PARIS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th Jul, 2026) The co-chairs of the second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa today convened a high-level virtual event to review progress on expanding clean cooking access across the continent – and to announce new financial and policy commitments ahead of the upcoming Summit.

The session brought together President William Ruto of Kenya, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway, United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, African Union Commissioner for Energy and Infrastructure Lerato Mataboge, and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

The participants noted that clean cooking remains one of the most pressing energy security challenges of our time, with nearly 1 billion people across Africa still lacking access to it – contributing to around 850,000 premature deaths each year. They reaffirmed their resolve to keep political attention on this issue and mobilise the investment needed to close the access gap.

During the meeting, Dr Birol announced $900 million in new financial commitments to clean cooking in Africa, adding to the $2.2 billion mobilised at the inaugural 2024 Paris Summit. Of the 2024 commitments, $740 million has already been deployed across 22 African countries, according to comprehensive IEA tracking in a new status report also published today.

The report highlights major policy progress since the first Summit, with 121 new clean cooking policies introduced across more than 30 countries representing 80% of Africans without access to clean cooking. Building on this momentum, the African Union and the IEA are supporting countries to raise policy ambition ahead of the next Summit, in line with a pan-African, continental clean cooking strategy and action plan.

<?php /*?> <?php */?>

In the meeting, participants discussed how the co-chairs, along with co-organisers African Union and African Development Bank, can ensure clean cooking remains a priority going forward. They emphasise the opportunity to leverage multilateral fora, such as the United Nations General Assembly, the G20 and COP, to build on today's announcements and deliver even stronger outcomes at the rescheduled Summit.

During the event, Dr Birol also announced the launch of a new public-private initiative, led by the IEA, that aims to strengthen the resilience of clean cooking supply chains around the world. Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz this year impacted 30% of globally traded liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – the world’s Primary cooking fuel, with more than 3.4 billion people dependent on it for their daily meals. In response to requests from countries for support, the new Clean Cooking Security Programme will provide targeted policy and market assistance to enhance domestic fuel security and explore pathways for enhancing global cooperation on this matter.

The event also marked the inaugural meeting of the newly constituted Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) as a multilateral initiative hosted by the IEA. Building on its longstanding role in advancing access to clean cooking, the Alliance welcomed twelve countries to its first plenary meeting, with more countries exploring membership. Working in close partnership with the IEA, the Alliance will strengthen support for country-led implementation and help translate commitments into measurable progress.