Tanzania reports clean-cooking gains

President Samia Suluhu Hassan reported an expansion in clean-cooking access, stating Tanzania expects it to reach 35 per cent by the end of 2026. Leaders at COP31 urged that international pledges be measured by improvements in households’ lives. Discussions reviewed progress since the 2024 Paris clean-cooking summit, which mobilised US$2.2 billion in commitments, with approximately US$740 million deployed.

President Samia said access in Tanzania increased from 16 per cent in 2022 to 28.6 per cent in March 2024, attributing progress to rural electrification, reduced electricity tariffs, and subsidies for liquefied petroleum gas equipment. By March 2026, the government had distributed over 346,000 subsidised LPG cylinders and 49,000 induction stoves. The Cook Fund programme enabled over 413,000 households, nearly two million people, to gain access to clean-cooking solutions.

The Cook Fund programme supported hundreds of local businesses and 45 public institutions, including schools serving more than 62,000 students. Interventions contributed to an estimated reduction of 3.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. President Samia pledged to strengthen the national clean-cooking strategy through appropriate technologies, better distribution networks, and greater private investment, particularly in rural areas.

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