COP29: that firewood smoke remains a silent killer for women

Highlights

• The lack of clean cooking is impacting on about 1.2 billion people across Africa and leading to millions of premature deaths annually
• This is not just a matter of health; it is about creating a sustainable future for all
• Approximately 1 billion of the 2.3 billion people globally without access to clean cooking are in Africa, with the continent losing about 3.9 million hectares of forest annually due to unsustainable cooking practices

By Felix

African policymakers and international partners meeting at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP29 on Tuesday highlighted the urgent crisis posed by lack of access to clean cooking, a challenge impacting 1.2 billion people across Africa and leading to millions of premature deaths annually.

Over 83 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on traditional biomass fuels, leading to severe health, environmental, and economic repercussions. Reliance on polluting fuels costs approximately $791.4 billion annually, with health-related impacts accounting for $526.3 billion.

Tanzania’s Vice President Philip Mpango, speaking on behalf of President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, at a COP29 side event on Clean Cooking Challenges in Africa, said there is a need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to deliver safe and sustainable cooking options.

It is unacceptable that women are still dying because they lack access to clean cooking solutions

He added: “We must prioritize investments in clean cooking infrastructure and support policies that enable access to affordable and sustainable cooking solutions for all. This is essential not only for health but also for economic development and environmental sustainability.”

While concurring with the Vice President, the African Development Bank Group Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate & Green Growth, Kevin Kariuki, said: “Clean cooking is not just a health issue; it is a matter of human dignity. We cannot allow our sisters and mothers to suffer in silence while we have the power to change this.”

“… We must mobilize at least $4 billion annually to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.”

At a Paris summit held in May 2024, African Development Bank President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, pledged to allocate 20 percent of Bank financing for energy projects that promote clean cooking alternatives, helping secure $2.2 billion in commitments from both public and private sectors to improve cooking practices across Africa.

The situation in West Nile, Uganda

The story across Africa is not different from the situation in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda, majority of women rely on the firewood for cooking. They endure the smoke every day, posing a health challenge.

Ms Milly Oyeny, 37, said the firewood is easy to find and affordable, hence people are accustomed to it.

Since childhood, we have been using firewood for cooking because it is the only cheap, easy to find source. Cooking using electricity is difficult because it is expensive to connect power

She is optimistic that with the advent of energy cooking stove, many families are now adapting to it but mainly in urban areas. “The women in rural areas cannot afford to buy an energy cooking stove at Shs 15,000 to Shs 25,000. They look at it being expensive compared to firewood which is cheap,” she added.

Risky: A woman preparing food at her home in Arua City. Images by Felix 

The Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said: “We have the knowledge and the tools to make a difference. It is imperative that we come together—governments, the private sector, and civil society—to implement innovative solutions that ensure every household has access to clean cooking. This is not just a matter of health; it is about creating a sustainable future for all.”

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, Damilola Ogunbiyi, echoed the urgency, noting the daily hardships faced by women who spend hours gathering fuel and suffering from indoor air pollution.

“We must ensure that clean cooking solutions reach every corner of Africa to protect the lives of women and children,” she stated.

The event featured insights from Rashid Abdallah, head of the African Energy Commission (AFREC), who presented findings from the new report on “Sustainable Scaling: Meeting the Clean Cooking Challenge in Africa.” He pointed out that approximately 1 billion of the 2.3 billion people globally without access to clean cooking are in Africa, with the continent losing about 3.9 million hectares of forest annually due to unsustainable cooking practices.

Joseph Ng’ang’a, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, stressed the importance of integrating clean cooking solutions with electrification efforts. He noted that making clean cooking appliances affordable is essential for widespread adoption.

Among the attendees were representatives of SIDA (Sweden), the World Resources Institute, UNDP, and other partners, all united in tackling the clean cooking crisis. The discussions emphasized integrating clean cooking into broader energy access strategies to ensure that no African is left behind in the shift to sustainable energy.