RIYADH: In many parts of the world, preparing a simple meal can be deadly. Across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, millions still rely on open fires and traditional stoves burning wood, charcoal, or kerosene — methods that fill homes with toxic smoke, drive deforestation, and fuel climate change.
The World Health Organization (WHO) links household air pollution from cooking to nearly 4 million premature deaths annually, with women and children most at risk. Polluting fuels cause respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, claiming more lives than malaria.
Globally, more than 2 billion people still cook with harmful fuels, according to the World Economic Forum. The World Bank estimates these fuels contribute 2% of all global CO₂ emissions and 58% of black carbon emissions, which are especially damaging to the climate.
The crisis is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where 960 million people — almost three-quarters of the population — lack access to clean cooking alternatives. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says providing clean solutions could cut up to 1.5 gigatons of CO₂ in five years.
Recognizing the urgency, Saudi Arabia is stepping up. At the 2021 Future Investment Initiative, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced a $2 billion fund to provide clean cooking fuel to over 750 million people worldwide.
This vision is being realized through projects like the Empowering Africa initiative, unveiled at MENA Climate Week 2023 in Riyadh. Led by the Kingdom’s Oil Sustainability Program with support from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Health, the program delivers clean energy, e-health, e-education, and electric stoves to rural African communities.
The initiative builds on the Middle East Green Initiative’s Clean Fuel Solutions for Cooking Program, aiming to improve public health, empower women, reduce emissions, and boost digital inclusion.
“Clean cooking is not just about convenience — it’s a public health imperative, a climate solution, and a human right,” Riyadh’s message to the world emphasizes. And with sustained international cooperation, Saudi Arabia intends to help turn that vision into reality.
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