SEforALL Urges Global Clean Energy Shift As 2.1bn Still Use Polluting Cooking Fuels

…Unveils 24-hour clean energy campaign across Africa, Europe

The Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) initiative has called for urgent global action to transition billions of people away from harmful cooking fuels, even as 2.1 billion people—over a quarter of the global population—continue to rely on polluting sources like firewood and charcoal, a stark reminder of the world’s clean energy gap.

In celebration of the fourth International Day of Clean Energy, SEforALL is launching a 24-Hour Clean Energy campaign, marking the occasion with a series of physical and virtual events to drive clean energy advocacy and action across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the globe.

Intending to drive global action for clean energy on a massive scale, the activations focus on two often-overlooked priorities of the global energy transition: clean cooking, which replaces polluting fuels with safer, modern solutions, and new approaches to financing electricity access for communities still without reliable power.

As part of the commemoration, SEforALL, which the United Nations has named one of the leaders of the Day, will launch a 24-hour clean energy campaign along with three events spanning two continents.

Despite significant progress globally, more than 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood and charcoal for cooking, which exposes families to deadly household air pollution, drives deforestation and accelerates climate change.

At the same time, Sub-Saharan Africa remains without reliable electricity, limiting economic opportunities and access to essential services. Driven by its unyielding belief that both challenges are solvable with existing technologies and targeted investment, the four flagship events will drive action from local to global change.

In Lagos, Nigeria, SEforALL is convening policymakers, private-sector leaders, and community stakeholders for an in-person Clean Cooking Experience focused on accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition. The event will combine a policy roundtable with hands-on demonstrations of clean cooking technologies available in the Nigerian market, highlighting the health, climate and economic benefits of transitioning away from polluting fuels.

In Vienna, Austria, SEforALL will bring together ambassadors, government officials, international partners, youth leaders and the media for a high-level event focused on clean cooking in schools. The programme will feature a panel discussion, a photo exhibition and a reception showcasing how clean cooking solutions can improve health, protect the environment and strengthen education outcomes for millions of children worldwide.

SEforALL will also mark the fifth anniversary of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) with an event that shows how funding, paid out once results are delivered, is expanding electricity access across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme will feature the announcement of a new European Union- and Danish Government–funded initiative to accelerate private-sector investment in green mini-grids in Sierra Leone, followed by an open call for applications.

SEforALL will launch “24 Hours for Clean Energy,” a digital activation inviting individuals, businesses and organisations everywhere to share commitments and actions in support of SDG7 across social media platforms. Using the hashtags #InternationalDayOfCleanEnergy and #CleanEnergyDay, participants will contribute to a shared global moment of visibility and solidarity for clean, affordable and reliable energy.

By linking local action with global engagement, SEforALL’s Clean Energy Day activations underscore that energy poverty, climate change, and development are deeply interconnected, and that solutions delivered in one part of the world benefit all. The objective is part of SeforALL’s global mandate to accelerate energy transitions in emerging and developing countries and works at the intersection of energy, climate and development, partnering with governments and organisations to decarbonise energy systems, grow green industries and improve energy access.

The Sustainable Energy for All has a global mandate to accelerate energy transitions in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate and development, partnering with governments and organisations to decarbonise energy systems, grow green industries and improve energy access. The solutions we design and deliver help bring sustainable energy and its benefits to households, businesses, public services and whole economies – opening pathways to a more resilient and prosperous future for all.

The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), a multi-donor fund managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), was established in 2020 to accelerate and scale up energy access across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, in line with SDG7 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The UEF provides incentive payments to clean energy companies deploying energy solutions and providing verified end-user electricity connections (via mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems) and clean cooking solutions based on pre-determined service standards.