- AfDB urged governments to allocate at least 5% of the $80 billion spent annually on energy investments to provide clean cooking solutions.
- Universal access to clean cooking will reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 1.9 gigatons of C02-equivalent.
The African Development Bank Group has pledged $2 billion to enhance clean cooking in Africa over the next ten years. AfDB president, Dr Akinkunmi Adesina, stated this during the Clean Cooking In Africa summit held in Paris.
He disclosed that the Bank would allocate 20 per cent of its energy project financing to promoting safe cooking alternatives.
According to him, this funding opportunity will provide access to clean cooking for 1.2 billion people in Africa, especially women. This step aims to fulfil the International Energy Agency’s estimate that achieving universal access to clean cooking will cost only $4 billion per year in Africa.
He stressed that access to clean cooking will save at least 200 million hectares of forests globally, with 110 million in Africa by 2030. In addition, universal access to clean cooking will reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally by 1.9 gigatons of C02-equivalent, equal to all the emissions from aeroplanes and ships today.
Estimates show that the health cost alone from impaired health is in the order of $1.4 trillion annually globally, with over half ($700 billion annually) in Africa.
“Africa loses over 600,000 women and children annually from the effects of secondary smoke from partial combustion of biomass, fuel wood and charcoal. That means we will lose 6 million women and children in ten years.
“Providing universal access to clean cooking is right, fair, just, and the responsible thing to do. Our gathering here today will take decisive actions to solve this problem, at scale, once and for all, for women, girls, life, environment, and dignity.
“The solutions for clean cooking are well known, from liquified petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas for use for electricity to allow for electric stoves or e-cooking, use of ethanol and biogas. We know of so-called improved clean cooking stoves, but they provide efficiency in using heat for cooking but still rely on fuelwood, charcoal, or biomass,” he added.
Furthermore, Adesina urged African governments to lead in driving the clean cooking initiative. He added that governments must allocate at least 5 per cent of the current $80 billion spent on energy investments annually to provide clean cooking solutions, which will provide close to the $4 billion needed annually.