New York Climate Week: AFD joins GeCCo to transform access to electric cooking

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2.3 billion people still lack access to clean cooking solutions, and 3.7 million people die prematurely every year due to indoor air pollution. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, achieving universal access to clean cooking by 2030 will require USD 4 billion annually. In the face of this health, social and climate emergency, transitioning to sustainable solutions has become a global priority.
 

An international coalition to scale up action

Hosted by a secretariat at Loughborough University, GeCCo brings together 36 organizations — development agencies, governments, NGOs and research institutions — united around a central objective: to enable at least 10% of the population in ten countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America to access electric cooking by 2030.
 

Integrating electric cooking into electrification strategies

Beyond this quantitative goal, GeCCo aims to shift paradigms by integrating electric cooking into national electrification strategies. Its strategic vision is based on three key priorities:

•  Accelerating large-scale deployment of electric solutions through national grids, mini-grids and solar home systems;
• Leveraging carbon markets to finance the transition and attract private investment;
• Harnessing renewable energies and creating green jobs throughout the value chain.
   

AFD’s added value

For AFD, joining GeCCo builds on France’s recent commitments implemented through AFD: Mission 300, with a €1 billion pledge by 2030 to accelerate energy access in Africa, and an additional €100 million over five years dedicated specifically to clean cooking.
AFD aims to contribute to the coalition with its experience and expertise in public policy dialogue, banking intermediation to mobilize local finance, as well as energy planning and electrification projects. In doing so, AFD would be pleased to support GeCCo’s ambitions to accelerate ecooking by activating all possible financing levers and fostering a coordinated advocacy among major international organizations. AFD can also build on its international networks, such as IDFC and FICS, to place this topic at the top of the public development banks’ agenda.

Prof. Ed Brown, Director of Modern Energy Cooking Solutions (MECS): “For too long, the transformative potential of electric cooking has been underestimated. Today, momentum is building—recognition of eCooking is growing rapidly, with major partners like AFD championing it as a central part of their activities. This growing support underscores a powerful truth: eCooking delivers real, tangible impact. It improves health and wealth, reduces drudgery and deforestation, and presents opportunities for large scale carbon financing agreements. Together, we can accelerate this transition and unlock its full benefits for communities worldwide. eCooking represents a practical, scalable solution to multiple development and climate challenges. We are delighted to welcome AFD to the GeCCo membership and look forward to the range and scale of activities we will undertake together. This partnership marks an exciting step forward in accelerating the global electric cooking transition.”

Nicolas Guichard, Head of the Energy Division at AFD: “Clean and efficient cooking is today a major strategic priority for the AFD Group. It perfectly illustrates our energy transition strategy, aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring universal access to clean and affordable energy, and promoting gender equality. Joining the GeCCo coalition, alongside our international partners, is an important step for us: we fully share its vision of making electric cooking a pillar of electrification strategies and a driver of sustainable development.”