Clean Cooking

The Challenge

Despite the heavy toll on human health and the environment, progress on access to clean cooking has been slow, barely keeping pace with population growth. About one third of the global population—some 2.3 (2.0–2.6) billion people—still lacked access in 2021. Over the past decade, access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking rose by only 14 percentage points.

The negative impacts associated with the lack of access to modern cooking are estimated to cost USD 2.4 trillion a year, as a result of negative externalities for health (USD 1.4 trillion), gender (USD 0.8 trillion), and climate (USD 0.2 trillion). The cost of inaction far exceeds the annual investment needed to achieve the universal access target, which is estimated to be USD 4.5 billion.

A lack of political commitment on clean cooking, poor coordination across government ministries to address the challenge, and low investment from public, private, development and philanthropic sectors have hindered the growth of clean cooking markets. 

To meet the SDG7 target of universal clean cooking access by 2030, investment, policy interventions and international cooperation are all critical.

The Solution

By developing a thriving global market for clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels, we can transform the way the world cooks, saving lives, improving livelihoods, empowering women, and protecting the environment simultaneously. 

Development and implementation of clean cooking technology for households in low and middle-income countries offer enormous promise to advance at least six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Good health and well-being (SDG3); Gender equality (SDG5); Affordable and clean energy (SDG7); Decent work and economic growth (SDG8); Climate action (SDG13); Life on land (SDG15).

Our Projects

Photo credit: Romana Manpreet