Policy Briefs in Support of the High-Level Political Forum 2020: Accelerating SDG7 Achievement in the time of COVID-19
The key message on access to clean cooking:
Access to clean cooking continues to lag severely behind. Globally, there are 2.8 billion people still without access to clean cooking solutions. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of those lacking access increased from 750 million in 2010 to 890 million in 2018. In Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia, the number fell from 1 billion to 0.8 billion; in Central Asia and Southern Asia, from 1.11 billion to 1 billion.
Major initiatives, political prioritization and substantial investments will be needed to achieve universal access to clean cooking solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown even more clearly the urgency of investing in clean cooking solutions for all, as exposure to air pollution increases the impacts of lung-related diseases.