The African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina will co-chair the upcoming Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol.
An estimated four in five Africans cook their meals over open fires and traditional stoves, using wood, charcoal, animal dung and other polluting fuels. The practice has devastating impacts on health, gender equality, and the environment, with 600,000 Africans, mainly women and children, dying annually from indoor pollution.
Dr Adesina said: "Access to clean cooking isn't merely an energy issue. It is a fundamental human right, and a promise for a healthier, and more sustainable future. The African Development Bank is committed to tackling this challenge head-on, and I am therefore pleased to co-chair the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa alongside distinguished global leaders."
"President Suluhu Hassan, Prime Minister Støre and I are delighted to welcome President Adesina as a co-chair for the Summit," said Dr Birol. "The African Development Bank has been involved in early preparations and has been a critical partner for the IEA on the issue of clean cooking. Its support will be an invaluable addition to this major Summit, which aims to deliver strong policy recommendations and additional financial commitments, while cementing clean cooking as a global priority for years to come."
Last year, the IEA and the African Development Bank co-authored a major report on clean cooking, A Vision for Clean Cooking Access for All. Alongside the African Union and Clean Cooking Alliance, they also launched the Africa Clean Cooking Consortium at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai.
The IEA estimates that achieving universal clean cooking access around the world by 2030 will improve health and prevent 2.5 million premature deaths annually. Globally, it will also avoid 1.5 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, create 1.5 million jobs and preserve 225 million hectares of forest each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.
