At international energy conference, delegates push to make clean cooking accessible to all

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Discussions on how to scale up resources to deliver efficient and affordable clean cooking to all are on the table at the 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency by the International Energy Agency

NAIROBI, Kenya — Participants at a global conference on how to reduce the world's energy use are calling for universal access to clean cooking through government incentives and subsidies to unlock more private sector funds.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency's 9th annual conference on energy efficiency brings together ministers, CEOs and thought leaders from around the world to discuss how to speed up progress on energy efficiency, which experts say can drastically reduce planet-warming emissions. On the agenda is how to deliver affordable clean cooking, which involves using electricity, solar and other solutions instead of more polluting fuels like charcoal, wood and kerosene.

“There are many practical barriers to energy efficiency, and of course the barrier of the need for investment up front,” said Brian Motherway, head of IEA’s office of energy efficiency and inclusive transitions. “The key to unlocking efficiency is in the hands of governments – strong, co-ordinated policies by governments will unlock finance and enable business and consumers to take the actions required to lower their bills.”

This year’s conference, which is being held in Nairobi, focuses on accelerating progress towards doubling energy efficiency progress by 2030 as agreed by governments at COP28.

Rashid Abdallah, the executive director of the Africa Energy Commission, said at a panel discussion on Tuesday that “clean cooking should be part of any energy policy" or socio-economic development plan.

Globally, around 2.3 billion people