As delivered (by video recording)

Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
Friends,

Clean cooking is one of the most underfunded opportunities in global development and climate policy today. Many of us take clean cooking for granted, but there are so many people out there who do not have that opportunity.

We made progress on this track in Paris two years ago. 2.2 billion dollars was committed – to provide clean cooking to many, many more people.

New policies have since been developed and new partnerships have been formed.

Now is the time to take our collective efforts a step further.

Let me thank my friend, President Ruto of Kenya, for his leadership. It is unique. And the US and IEA for working closely together with us, in preparing for the Second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa.

And let me repeat, from my perspective – the challenge:

Nearly 900 million people in Africa still rely on polluting fuels for cooking.

So, addressing this development gap is really a multiple potential for advantage;

  • Improving health
  • Investing in women’s empowerment
  • Creating economic growth
  • Making progress on climate justice
  • And protecting biodiversity

Colleagues,

As Heads of government, we must lead with urgency and with clarity. – So much benefit to read from this.

African governments are leading this agenda, and rightly so.

Most countries that pledged at the Paris Summit have already implemented new cooking policies.

Tanzania – our co-host of the Paris Summit – under the leadership of President Suluhu Hassan – has seen clean cooking access rise significantly.

And in Kenya, new innovative solutions have demonstrated that affordability barriers can be overcome.

Delivering universal access to clean cooking will require a fundamental change in ambition.

So, we are on the right path, but three things must happen now:

Firstly: Clean cooking must become a core pillar of national energy planning – with binding targets, timelines, and budget lines.

Energy compacts under ‘Mission 300’ should clearly prioritize clean cooking. And clean cooking cannot be treated as a marginal issue. It is really a daily necessity in all households.

Secondly: Women must be at the center. They bear the burden. They will build the markets. They are the community leaders who will drive this change and adoption.

Financing women entrepreneurs in clean cooking is not a charity. Far from it; it is the most efficient deployment of capital we have.

And thirdly: Carbon finance, climate finance, and development finance must align and come together.

The transition to clean cooking is not only a health intervention. It is one of the most cost-effective climate mitigation strategies available to us.

So, finally, friends,

Leadership must be matched with international partnership at scale.

I therefore call on private sector and philanthropies to invest, across African markets.

I call on development partners to scale concessional finance.

And, I call on multilateral institutions to prioritize clean cooking in energy portfolios.

And speaking as Prime Minister of Norway, I can underline that we will continue to do our part.

Colleagues,

Clean cooking is central to Africa’s development pathway.

So, let us act decisively.

No-one should risk their health or their children’s health for the simple, vital act of preparing a meal.

And let me thank the Executive Director of the IEA, my friend Fatih Birol, for being a driving force of this, having reminded us of the low-hanging fruit for development, empowerment, safety, climate and wise energy use throughout Africa.

Thank you – and good luck.