IEA Ministerial hosts high-level dialogue to accelerate clean cooking and energy access

Ministers and leaders from industry and development institutions come together to take stock of progress on clean cooking and prepare for major international Summit in July in Nairobi

Representatives from more than 30 countries gathered today at the IEA's 2026 Ministerial Meeting for a high-level dialogue on advancing energy access and clean cooking solutions, reaffirming international commitment to expanding access to clean cooking and accelerating progress in sub-Saharan Africa where one billion people live without it.

Participants highlighted progress since the inaugural IEA Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa two years ago, which mobilised an unprecedented $2.2 billion in financial pledges. According to IEA tracking, at least $470 million has already been deployed across 22 African countries.

Opening the dialogue, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol announced two major developments to strengthen international coordination: the planned integration of the Clean Cooking Alliance into the IEA, creating a more unified platform for data, policy support and investment mobilisation; and the confirmation that the next Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa will take place in Nairobi on 9-10 July 2026.

The high-level dialogue was led by Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands Sophie Hermans, Dr Birol, Kenya's Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Kenya James Opiyo Wandayi, United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Norway's Minister of Energy of Norway Terje Lien Aasland. Ministers underscored the importance of sustained political leadership, enabling regulatory frameworks and mobilising greater private investment to scale clean cooking solutions.

Lead interventions were delivered by Tanzania's Minister of Energy Deogratius John Ndejembi, who shared reflections on Tanzania's progress since the 2024 Summit for which it was one of the co-chairs, and Clean Cooking Alliance Chief Executive Officer Dymphna van der Lans, who highlighted lessons from recent implementation efforts and the importance of coordinated action across policy, finance and industry. Ministers and senior representatives from Nigeria, the European Union, Sierra Leone, Senegal, India, Mexico, France and Brazil, alongside leaders from multilateral institutions and the private sector, contributed to a roundtable discussion focused on priority actions to accelerate deployment and mobilise additional capital.

IEA analysis presented during the session shows that Africa could achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2040 by replicating policies that have delivered the fastest rates of progress globally. The World Energy Outlook 2025 introduced an Accelerating Clean Cooking and Electricity Scenario (ACCESS). In that scenario, LPG provides clean cooking access to over 60% of those currently lacking it, with electricity providing access to a further 17%, bioethanol and biogas to 11%, and advanced biomass cookstoves to the remainder. Achieving this pathway would require investment of around $2 billion annually over the next 15 years.

The dialogue concluded with agreement on the need to strengthen regulatory frameworks, de-risk private sector participation and deepen collaboration with local partners to ensure solutions are affordable, scalable and sustainable. A technical workshop and working lunch followed to further elaborate priorities that will inform the agenda and expected outcomes of the 9-10 July 2026 Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in Nairobi.