Clean cooking: The missing link in ending energy poverty

Apr 13 2025 · 5 min read

Energy · Renewables · Food · Ethical Governance

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.

The energy access blind spot

Electrification is making strides. The World Bank and the African Development Bank recently launched an effort called Mission 300 to bring 300 million Africans electricity access by 2030. And bringing greater attention to the need for clean cooking is part of that effort.

As U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright points out, “Two billion people on the planet still burn wood indoors, sometimes charcoal or dung, but mostly wood indoors to cook their meals and keep their house at a safe temperature. That indoor air pollution kills over 2 million people every year.” This unacceptable energy poverty isn’t just a development challenge — it’s a public health and economic emergency. The World Bank estimates that failing to act on clean cooking costs the global economy $2.4 trillion annually in health, economic and environmental damages.

Mission 300 doesn’t end with access to electricity — we must make sure that people have access to all forms of modern energy, including clean cooking. Without access to affordable, modern cooking solutions, families remain locked in a cycle of health risks, poverty, and inefficiency.

Electrification alone won’t solve this problem

We’ve seen tremendous progress in distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions, such as microgrids and solar home systems, bringing power to millions. But let’s be clear: these systems often provide only enough electricity for lighting and phone charging, not for cooking a meal. Boiling water in an electric kettle requires 1200 watts of electricity — far more than most rural households can generate with small solar panels. Even in grid connected areas, transmission and distribution systems must be built or upgraded to support the load of electric cooking appliances. Without deliberate planning, millions will continue to rely on charcoal, wood, and other unsustainable fuels for cooking — even in electrified communities.

The investment gap is even more alarming. While global energy transition funding surpassed $1.3 trillion in 2022, only 1% of international energy finance is directed toward clean cooking. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that closing the global clean cooking gap requires $8 billion per year — a fraction of what’s already being pledged for broader energy transition efforts.

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.

Scalable solutions

• LPG and biofuels: While electrification expands, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biogas, and bioethanol provide immediate, cleaner alternatives to wood and charcoal, reducing forest degradation and indoor air pollution.

• Electric cooking (eCooking): As the grid and off-grid electricity become more reliable and affordable, efficient appliances like induction stoves and electric pressure cookers can help families transition to cleaner cooking.

• Innovative financing models: Expanding access requires smart financing tools, such as results-based financing and carbon credits, to make clean cooking solutions more affordable and widely available.

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.

Let’s move beyond promises and commit to lasting change.

This article is also published on The Rockefeller Foundation. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

Clean cooking: The missing link in ending energy poverty

The energy access blind spot

Electrification alone won’t solve this problem

A smarter approach to energy investment

Scalable solutions

It’s time to move from talk to action

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