A new International Energy Agency study reveals that transitioning African households from wood and charcoal to cleaner cooking fuels would save 4.7 million lives by 2040. The report examines how one billion people across the continent currently prepare meals using dangerous open fires that release harmful smoke. Women and children bear the heaviest burden, spending four hours each day collecting fuel and cooking instead of attending school or working. This practice destroys 1.3 million hectares of forest annually while causing 800,000 preventable deaths. The agency proposes liquefied petroleum gas as the primary solution for most households.
Implementing universal access to clean cooking requires an investment of 31 billion euros by 2040. The plan would establish fuel distribution networks and help families purchase proper stoves and equipment. Success would free women from two hours of daily labor while preventing 540 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Last year's Paris summit secured over 2 billion euros in commitments from governments and private organizations for this initiative.
Implementing universal access to clean cooking requires an investment of 31 billion euros by 2040. The plan would establish fuel distribution networks and help families purchase proper stoves and equipment. Success would free women from two hours of daily labor while preventing 540 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Last year's Paris summit secured over 2 billion euros in commitments from governments and private organizations for this initiative.
