Clean cooking: The missing link in ending energy poverty

While the world is scrambling to accelerate energy production, we are leaving billions of people behind. Leaders have made bold commitments to build sustainable economies, yet we still have 700 million people who do not have a lightbulb in their homes and roughly one-third of the global population still use wood, charcoal and biomass for cooking. These are solvable problems.

A smarter approach to energy investment

Clean cooking cannot remain on the sidelines. People who cook every day with wood or charcoal generally do not have access to sufficient, inexpensive electricity. Many will not have access to the electrical grid for another 30 years. One practical solution for weaning people off wood, charcoal and cutting down trees is using cooking gas, such as Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). While LPG is a non-renewable fossil fuel, the environmental impact of running a gas stove for 10 minutes to boil a pot of water is significantly less than the environmental and social impact from spending an hour building a fire, boiling water, and letting the charcoal burn out, while inhaling noxious smoke. Gas is more convenient, and nobody is cutting down any trees.

While many communities still lack access to affordable electricity, and may for some time, there are proven, scalable solutions that can be deployed today, as outlined below.

An inclusive, pragmatic energy strategy must prioritise clean cooking. By investing in a mix of solutions — not just waiting for electrification to catch up — we can accelerate progress, improve health outcomes, and drive sustainable economic growth.

It’s time to move from talk to action

We need more than commitments — we need real investments. Government donors and multilateral development actors have committed billions to energy transitions, yet clean cooking remains at the margins. That must change.

Mission 300 has created a model where clean cooking is embedded in recent Energy Compacts and organisations like the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) are building the capacity of governments, investors and the private sector to deliver clean cooking solutions at scale. Through market intelligence, technical assistance and strategic partnerships, CCA is helping enterprises grow, enter new markets, and deliver user-centered solutions that drive widespread adoption. But continued progress will require bold, sustained investment and decisive action to turn commitments into reality. We need catalytic financing, a robust pipeline of investable projects, and rapid implementation of solutions that deliver real impact.

The moment for action is now. By prioritising clean cooking alongside electrification, we can unlock the full potential of modern energy access, improve lives, protect the planet, and drive sustainable economic growth.