AfDB Accelerates Increased Investment To Improve Clean Cooking Across Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB), is driving new technology adoption that will support sustainable clean cooking in Africa.

To achieve the goal, AfDB Group’s Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility (RPFF) has announced the RPFF Clean Cooking Program (RCCP), an important new contribution to increasing investments into clean cooking across Africa.

The announcement was made at the African Development Bank Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings during a special session hosted by the Government of Italy in partnership with the African Development Bank.

Established in February 2025, the RPFF is designed as a catalytic tool combining grant and concessional financing to be deployed rapidly in co-financing with the African Development Bank Group in the sectors of energy, transport and water. The RPFF provides an impactful financial platform that leverages strategic partnership and enables co-designing and co-financing, to address key drivers of fragility, climate vulnerability, and irregular migration.

Dr Daniel Schroth, Director of the Department of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank, announced the RPFF Clean Cooking Program (RCCP) with an initial EUR 25 million envelope.

The programme aims to provide access to clean cooking to approximately one million households and is expected to reduce five million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The programme fully aligns with the clean cooking objectives contained in the Mission 300 national energy compacts, while working in synergy with partners such as the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Clean cooking is a strategic priority for the Italian Government’s Mattei Plan for Africa, representing one of the most urgent and transformative challenges we face today. Nearly one billion people in Africa still lack access to clean cooking solutions, with serious consequences for health, gender equality and economic development,” Lorenzo Ortona, Deputy Coordinator of the Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan at the Office of the Italian Prime Minister, said in opening remarks.

The panel, comprising Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone, State Secretary for Development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark; Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance for Economic Cooperation of Ethiopia; Leah Chirchir, Director Economic Planning in the Ministry of Finance of Kenya, and Mulele Mulele, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning of Zambia, discussed the role of the RPFF, the new Clean Cooking programme, and the importance of increasing investments into clean cooking across Africa.

Krone, emphasised Denmark’s decision to join the RPFF in December 2025 and underscored that access to clean cooking is an important priority for Denmark.

Other panellists shared their country’s perspectives on requirements for implementing the Facility. Kenya, which will host the second Africa Clean Cooking Summit in Nairobi from 9-10 July 2026, is developing an e-cooking market development programme with support from RPFF. Ethiopia, already a beneficiary of RPFF investment in the water sector, will host COP32 in 2027 and is building clean cooking into its broader climate agenda. Zambia, is already a beneficiary of RPFF for support with the strategic Lobito corridor and is also expanding access to clean cooking in line with its Mission 300 National Energy Compact ambitions.

To date, around EUR 168 million has been committed to the RPFF by three donors- Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Denmark – with a current active portfolio of four projects, from solar-powered water systems in Ethiopia, to green mini-grids in Mauritania to road infrastructure along the Lobito Corridor in Angola and Zambia. That portfolio has already leveraged around EUR 389 million in co-financing from the African Development Bank Group and EUR 148 million from other partners and governments.

“The RPFF has shown that speed matters. In just a short time, it has moved from concept to committed investments, demonstrating that strong partnerships can deliver tangible results quickly. The new clean cooking programme is strategically important because it addresses one of Africa’s most urgent development challenges at the intersection of energy access, health, gender, climate, and livelihoods,” stated Dr Schroth.

“Through the RPFF Clean Cooking Programme, developed in partnership with the African Development Bank, we are mobilizing concessional finance and leveraging additional investment to scale up access to modern, safe and affordable solutions. This is not only about energy, but also about dignity, opportunity and improving daily life. By working together, we are committed to delivering concrete results that will benefit millions of people across the continent,” Ortona said.

Francesca Utili, Alternate Governor at Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, delivered closing remarks in which she commended the effectiveness of partnerships.

“One year after the launch of the Facility, the RPFF is now operating at full capacity, with a solid governance in place, a first set of approved projects, and a rapidly expanding pipeline to effectively respond to the needs of African countries. This shows the added value of the partnership with the AfDB and the joint support to strategic priorities of the Continent including energy access and sustainable infrastructure development,” she said.

The Africa Clean Cooking Summit is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 9-10 July 2026.