29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to Feature High-Level Focus on Clean Cooking as African Union and Tanzania Unite for Climate Solutions – Africa.com
At the 29th Conference of the Parties in Azerbaijan, the African Union (AU) and the United Republic of Tanzania will join forces to host a high-level side event to make clean cooking a central part of the global climate agenda.
The event “Tackling Africa’s Clean Cooking Challenge: A Call for African Leadership” will be held on November 12, 2024 from 15:30 to 17:00 in the Blue Zone H11 of the Africa Pavilion.
As African countries continue to grow economically and urbanize, with 70% of the population still relying on traditional cooking methods, the need for clean cooking solutions is more urgent than ever. This high-level meeting will bring together African leaders, policymakers and international stakeholders to address the clean cooking challenge and highlight the urgent need for political leadership, innovative partnerships and significant financial investment to achieve sustainable clean cooking across Africa Cooking Solutions.
Bold leadership and action in Africa
Africa has long been at the forefront of climate conversations, and African countries are now taking bold and decisive steps to address the challenge of clean cooking. The African Union, through its African Clean Cooking Plan (ACCP), has made clean cooking an important part of the continent’s agenda and sees it as an essential component of climate action and sustainable development.
The AU’s Clean Cooking Program (ACCP) focuses on increasing access to clean cooking solutions, reducing harmful emissions, improving public health and promoting innovation in cooking technologies across Africa. The plan is part of the realization of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous, integrated and peaceful Africa.
The United Republic of Tanzania has emerged as a leading advocate for clean cooking in Africa, highlighting the importance of a gender-inclusive approach to energy and climate challenges. In 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the Women’s Clean Cooking Support Program (AWCCSP) at COP28, a groundbreaking initiative to raise awareness, build partnerships and Mobilize financial resources to expand clean cooking solutions.
Some African countries have made clean cooking a national priority. For example, Ghana has made significant progress in promoting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a cleaner alternative, with a significant 36% increase in LPG use. In addition, 30% of households now use improved stoves, reflecting progress in making cooking more energy efficient. Similarly, Kenya has been expanding the use of LPG, with 2.4 million people switching to affordable and safe LPG cooking solutions.
Clean cooking and climate goals: key links
Clean cooking has the potential to become a key climate solution, reducing emissions by up to 150 million tonnes by 2030 and contributing around 10% to doubling energy efficiency targets.
The transition to clean cooking is a key element of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies in Africa. By integrating clean cooking into national and regional climate action plans, African countries are stepping up efforts to meet their climate commitments and make substantial progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (affordable clean energy for all). Clean cooking solutions also contribute to SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 13 (climate action), demonstrating the interconnectedness of these global goals .
Launch of key publication: “Sustainable Scaling: Addressing Africa’s Clean Cooking Challenge”
During the COP29 event, the African Union Energy Commission (AFREC) will launch the publication Sustainable Scaling: Addressing Africa’s Clean Cooking Challenge. The publication provides a comprehensive roadmap for scaling up clean cooking technologies in Africa, highlighting the innovative solutions, financing mechanisms and policy frameworks needed to accelerate the transition to clean cooking.
The report highlights the need for innovative financing models, including public-private partnerships, to unlock the investment needed to scale up clean cooking solutions and achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.
The publication also calls on African governments to strengthen policy coordination and political will to integrate clean cooking into national energy and climate plans.
By elevating clean cooking to the highest levels of political decision-making, African countries can create an enabling environment for innovation, investment and sustainable development.
A platform for African leadership and global partnerships
The COP29 high-level side event will become an important platform for African leaders to engage with international partners, multilateral organizations and private sector partners. It will provide a unique opportunity to showcase African leadership in driving solutions to global climate challenges and promote clean cooking as a cornerstone of Africa’s response to the climate crisis.
Through the AWCCSP and other initiatives, African countries are showing that they are not only committed to solving the clean cooking crisis, but also taking bold steps to ensure that clean cooking is at the heart of the continent’s climate agenda.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the African Union (AU).
