Getting homes in Africa to stop burning wood, charcoal or dung to feed fires for cooking and use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bioethanol and biogas could prevent 4.7 million premature deaths between now and 2040, according to a report published on Friday by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
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One billion Africans are making their meals on open fires or with fuels that are jeopardising their health due to the pollution given off by the smoke.
Lifestyles are compromised too, says the report Universal Access to Clean Cooking in Africa,
Gathering fuel for cooking
Across the continent women and girls spend on average four hours a day gathering fuel and cooking.
It often means missing out on school lessons or jobs. The lack of clean cooking facilities is also linked to the loss of 1.3 million hectares of forest each year.
“As geopolitical uncertainties dominate headlines and international cooperation is severely tested, lack of clean cooking access remains one of the great injustices in the world and a clear example of a cause all countries agree must be addressed,” said IEA boss Fatih Birol.
“Nowhere is it more visible than in Africa where one billion people still rely on open fires or basic stoves.”
The IEA’s report sets out via a country-by-country analysis on how 80 million people can gain clean cooking solutions each year.
It says LPG can provide access to clean cooking for more than 60 percent of newly connected households, with the rest gaining the chance for better standards through growing shares of electricity, bioethanol, biogas and advanced biomass cookstoves.
“Urban areas reach near-complete access by 2035 while rural access expands steadily through the 2030s,” says the report.
Using easily accessible materials such as wood, charcoal or dung contribute to more than 800,000 premature deaths each year.
As households clean up their cooking methods, fewer deaths would occur, says the report.
“The IEA’s new roadmap shows the far-reaching benefits of reaching universal access. Over 4.7 million premature deaths could be avoided cumulatively between now and 2040 in Africa. Women and girls could recover roughly two hours a day, freeing time for education and work.”
Energy-related emissions
The report acknowledges that the proposals will mean additional energy-related emissions from greater use of LPG and electricity.
“But these are dramatically outweighed by reductions in emissions from forest degradation and the incomplete combustion of wood-based fuels,” the report adds.
“As a result, 540 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are avoided annually in 2040.”
Last year in Paris, the IEA hosted a summit on clean cooking in Africa. More than 2 billion euros was pledged from public and private sector organisations during the one-day meeting.
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According to the report, more than 400 million euros of those grants have been used and 10 of the 12 African governments that took part in the summit have implemented new clean cooking policies.
“Tanzania was proud to co-host the IEA summit on clean cooking,” said Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“And we are already seeing the impact of our shared commitments. Clean cooking is not a luxury. It’s an issue that touches every family, every day. From rural villages to growing cities, Tanzania is introducing new policies that will support the most vulnerable in society.”
The IEA report says 31 billion euros will be needed in investment for Africa to have universal access to clean cooking by 2040.
The spending would include helping households to buy stoves, fuel cylinders and canisters. The cash would also establish viable fuel distribution networks, storage terminals and electricity grids.
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“Clean cooking is a fundamental need and a foundation for health, equality, and economic empowerment especially for women and girls across the continent,” said Lerato Mataboge, the African Union’s commissioner for infrastructure and energy.
“The African Union is proud to see growing momentum behind this issue, and we urge all partners to sustain their efforts.”
