Baku, Azerbaijan: The African Union (AU) and Tanzania have joined forces at COP29 in Azerbaijan to promote clean cooking as a key component of the global climate agenda.
The high-level side event, themed “Addressing Clean Cooking Challenges in Africa: A Call for African Leadership,” is taking place in Baku.
A press statement issued by the African Union highlighted that the AU recognizes the clean cooking challenge as essential to both climate action and sustainable development, emphasized through its African Clean Cooking Program (ACCP).
The AU’s Clean Cooking Program (ACCP) aims to increase access to clean cooking solutions, reduce harmful emissions, improve public health, and foster innovation in cooking technologies across Africa.
The United Republic of Tanzania has emerged as a leading advocate for clean cooking in Africa and previously launched the Women Clean Cooking Support Programme at COP28—a pioneering initiative to scale clean cooking solutions.
Clean cooking has the potential to be a key climate solution, offering emissions reductions of up to 1.5 gigatons by 2030 and contributing approximately 10 percent of the targeted doubling of energy efficiency improvements.
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The transition to clean cooking is critical for Africa’s climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
By integrating clean cooking into national and regional climate action plans, African countries are accelerating efforts to meet their climate commitments and making substantial progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy for all).
During COP29, the African Union Energy Commission (AFREC) will launch a publication, “Sustainable Scaling: Meeting the Clean Cooking Challenge in Africa,” which provides a comprehensive roadmap for scaling clean cooking technologies across the continent.
The report emphasizes the need for innovative financing models, including public-private partnerships, to unlock the investment required to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.
The high-level side event at COP29 will serve as an important platform for African leaders to engage with international partners, multilateral organizations, and the private sector, showcasing African leadership in tackling global climate challenges.
Clean cooking is positioned as a cornerstone of Africa’s response to the climate crisis, with African countries demonstrating their commitment to addressing the clean cooking challenge and ensuring it remains central to the continent’s climate agenda.
