The transition towards clean cooking fuels and technologies

Across a staggering 6,000 kms, two seemingly disparate meetings unfolded within days of each other.

In Paris, France more than 1,000 delegates, among them 20 African heads of state and government, the director general of the World Health Organization and COP29 host president gathered for the inaugural Global Clean Cooking Summit.

Organised by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the focus was on Africa's cooking systems, gender equality and the large scale fight for clean cooking in the continent. Meanwhile, in a Nairobi hotel, another meeting happened. Here, discussions stilted from investments, lived experiences to panels on the simple act of cooking a meal without jeopardising health or the planet.

Though separated by distance and time, these meetings were bound by a singular, urgent mission: to eradicate the insidious threat of indoor air pollution caused by unclean cooking practices.

For generations, the way we cook has simmered beneath the surface of the climate change conversations. For many, the familiar crackle of firewood or the glow of charcoal is ingrained in their culture. Some might even argue —  can anything truly compete with the taste of a meal cooked over open fires and hot coals?

A random casual office banter with colleagues made this disconnect startlingly clear. From one colleague to another, they shared their struggles to convince their parents to switch from firewood and other traditional fuels to cleaner, more efficient options.

“Each time I bring up the conversation, my mother is quick to remind me that she was brought up in a household that cooked all meals under an open fire. She doesn’t understand why she should switch now,” said one colleague.

But beneath that age-old belief lies a truth. Dozens of climate experts say that the way we cook is a contributor to climate change and a cause for preventable deaths.

Recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than two billion people cook their meals using fuels (crop waste, charcoal, coal, wood and dung) and kerosene in open fires or inefficient stoves. A majority of these households, WHO says, live in low-middle-income countries like Kenya.

WHO classifies firewood and charcoal as polluters. Clean cooking fuels that are safe for the environment and household use include solar power, cooking gas (liquefied petroleum gas), biogas and electricity from renewable sources like solar or wind.

Yet, for nearly a third of the world's population, a gas stove for instance is considered a luxury. For these billions of people, pre-industrial cooking methods remain the norm.  In the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), only five per cent of those in rural areas rely on clean fuels and technologies for cooking and space heating.

Cooking with polluting fuels, WHO said in a 2022 report, has a negative impact on health as approximately 21,560 deaths per year globally are attributed to indoor air pollution. This is due to the harms of breathing smoke from cooking fires (which often accumulate indoors).

At the France summit, a host of signatories including countries, civil society organisations and corporations issued a declaration “making 2024 the pivotal year for clean cooking.” 

The convention concluded with 14 declarations, to which Kenya was a signatory.  “We declare clean cooking as a critical priority and pledge to take concrete steps towards advancing the clean cooking agenda, through action on the ground, raising awareness and fostering greater collaboration among the key stakeholders,” read part of the declaration.

The summit announced financial commitments of Sh260 billion pledges by governments and the private sector, with IEA saying they will ensure these pledges are delivered and will report on how the funds will be distributed and which countries will receive what portions.

The clean cooking revolution cuts a curious figure. While it champions cleaner air and a healthier planet, some argue it even piques the interest of unlikely allies —  fuel lobbyists themselves.  The revolution is also sparking a novel carbon offset market. Airlines and other polluters can now purchase "cookstove credits" to fund the upgrade from polluting stoves to cleaner alternatives in developing nations.

However, a recent study reveals that these credits might be significantly overestimating the actual emission reductions achieved by the new cookstoves.

What's the way forward?

Rebekah Shirley, deputy director for Africa at World Resources Institute, said: “To establish truly lasting and sustainable solutions, those most deeply involved in the activity of cooking — namely women who represent rural and peri-urban communities across the continent —  must be firmly and squarely established at the helm of the discussions and their perspective must directly inform decision-making.”

And in a move towards sustainable energy, the meeting in Nairobi sought to end cutting trees for cooking fuel.

The urgency for this transition is underscored by a recent commitment from the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the World Bank to electrify 300 million homes across the continent.

Bachi Balde, director of Power System Development at the AFDB, highlighted the critical need for clean cooking solutions.

Representing Dr Kevin Kariuki, the Vice-President of Power and Energy at AFDB, Balde said: "We have over a billion people without access to clean cooking, and trees are being cut. But as far as we are concerned, clean cooking has to take the form of electricity or LPG. This vision is not just about environmental sustainability but also about addressing the severe health issues faced by women who inhale harmful smoke from traditional cooking methods.”

The AFDB has committed Sh260 billion (USD 2 billion) over the next decade to promote clean cooking through electricity and LPG. This substantial investment aims to eradicate the emissions and health problems caused by traditional cooking fuels.

"Electricity is a business. We are not just giving access to electricity for the sake of it, to light bulbs. It is access to electricity to drive all other areas, whether it's food processing or business," Balde added.

Kenya stands out in the electrification efforts with notable projects like Last Mile 1, Last Mile 2, and Last Mile 3, which have significantly increased the country's electrification rate from 27per cent to approximately 75 per cent. These projects are designed to extend electricity access to rural communities, fostering development and improving the quality of life.

The country is also home to impressive infrastructure developments like the Kenya-Ethiopia transmission line and the largest wind farm in Turkana, producing 300 megawatts of clean energy. These initiatives underscore Kenya's commitment to transitioning towards clean energy and addressing climate justice.

Despite these strides, challenges remain. Affordability and reliability of electricity are significant impediments.

Jackline Kimeu, climate and energy coordinator at the Worldwide Fund for Nature Kenya, pointed out that while power lines may pass through households, many Kenyans cannot afford to connect. Additionally, intermittent electricity supply in rural areas undermines the potential benefits of energy access.

“Energy is expensive. Even though the government has done a lot to ensure last mile connectivity, we still have Kenyans who cannot access it. We also have communities in rural areas that can go for a month or two without electricity. For energy transition to make sense to communities, it must be reliable, and because we say energy is an enabler of development, it cannot enable development if it is intermittent,” she said.

To address these issues, Kenya needs substantial investment—an estimated 600 billion dollars by 2050 to fully transition to clean energy. This investment is expected to create around 500,000 jobs, providing a substantial economic boost and making the transition more appealing to the populace.

Chibeze Ezekiel, coordinator of the Strategic Youth Network for Development in Ghana, stressed the importance of innovative financing to support the just transition. "When it comes to clean energy or solar energy, there are job opportunities for building the system itself, installation and maintenance," Ezekiel noted. The clean cooking value chain can create numerous jobs, from production to sales, significantly benefiting young people.

Brian Motherway, head of the Energy division at IEA, urged governments and multilateral development banks to help reduce the cost of capital to make it easier to invest. “The vast bulk of growth in clean energy investment globally is coming in 10 major economies.

And for the rest of the world, it's moving far too slowly. And that is because there are barriers to financing in certain parts of the world, including this region. Costs of capital are higher than they are in other regions.”

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