No time to waste: Pathways to deliver clean cooking for all
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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Abstract: Right now, a woman is risking her health through the simple act of preparing a meal. The energy transition is happening. The renewable revolution is accelerating. Yet, access to clean cooking is barely progressing. This is an energy issue, a climate issue, and a gender and human rights issue. UNDP works on energy and climate action not in isolation but as central to sustainable development. Without universal access to clean cooking, the promise of sustainable development will remain out of reach. Over two billion lives and our shared environment are at stake. Unlocking the full potential of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 – ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all – hinges on addressing every dimension of energy access, including clean cooking. This means tackling electrification and clean cooking access in households and institutions – within schools, hospitals, prisons, displacement settings and market centers – while supporting productive energy uses for sustainable livelihoods and economic development. UNDP stands uniquely positioned to address this challenge, leveraging its role as a global integrator of development issues. With leading expertise on climate action, sustainable energy and finance, coupled with an expansive global presence and deep-rooted relationships with communities and policymakers alike, UNDP is driving the clean cooking agenda forward. Ultimately, clean cooking signifies more than just technological change. It is a powerful catalyst for a domino effect of outcomes – improved health, environmental protection, enhanced women's security and economic empowerment. Our ambition is not just to move the needle—but to achieve the energy moonshot of UNDP’s strategic plan: to provide energy access to 500 million people by 2025 and beyond, in alignment with SDG 7’s call to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The stakes are too high to settle for incremental progress. The future of over two billion lives and our planet depends on the boldness of our actions today.