AfDB pledges US$2B investment in clean cooking solutions in Africa

AFRICA – Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, has committed to mobilizing US$2 billion over the next decade to enhance access to clean cooking in Africa.

This announcement was made at the Africa Clean Cooker Summit, held last week in Paris, France.

The summit, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol, focused on addressing the urgent need for clean cooking solutions across Africa.

Adesina emphasized the AfDB’s pioneering role as the first development finance institution to prioritize clean cooking in Africa. The pledge, which translates to US$200 million annually, aims to tackle the multifaceted issue of clean cooking, which has significant economic, climate, and health implications.

“Access to clean cooking is more than a question of cooking; it’s a question of dignity, fairness, justice, and equality for women,” Adesina stated.

Currently, 1.2 billion Africans rely on charcoal or wood fires for cooking. The environmental impact is severe, with the effects of charcoal, biomass, and wood cooking threatening 200 million hectares of forest, including 110 million in Africa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is notably affected by rampant deforestation for charcoal production, even within the Virunga National Park.

According to the Development Innovation Fund (DIF), charcoal is the primary energy source for 90% of the population in eastern DRC.

At the summit, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for substantially replenishing the African Development Fund (ADF), including US$12 billion for clean cooking initiatives.

French President Emmanuel Macron committed to investing €100 million (US$108.45 million) over five years in clean cooking solutions and mobilizing additional funds through the Paris Pact for People and Planet and Finance in Common. Norway has pledged US$50 million.

Despite the US$2.2 billion in pledges made at the Paris Summit, much work remains to achieve universal access to clean cooking in Africa.

“Over the next ten years, 6 million people, mainly women, will die prematurely due to this issue. This is unacceptable,” Adesina stated.

Africa needs an annual investment of US$8 billion to reach universal access to clean cooking.

The summit highlighted the urgent need for continued investment and international cooperation to address the clean cooking crisis in Africa, emphasizing the critical intersection of health, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

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