By Winfred Watenya
A Summit that is expected to build on ground-breaking clean cooking initiatives launched at COP28 opens this morning in Paris, France.
Development partners gathering in Paris today are expected to pledge towards the $4 billion needed to provide clean cooking access for 250 million African women by 2030.
African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina will co-chair the Clean Cooking Summit, alongside President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol.
Adesina says in a press statement that the landmark event aims to drive significant change in clean cooking access for the nearly one billion Africans using polluting fuels, which cause the premature deaths of approximately half a million women and children every year.
Women and girls spend up to five hours a day collecting fuel and cooking. This leaves little time for education, social or economic activities.
