The global deployment of clean cooking solutions is receiving a new boost with the launch of the Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative (CCAI). This international collaboration, announced during a ministerial dialogue on energy access by the International Energy Agency (IEA), brings together organizations such as the Clean Cooking Alliance, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).

Watch the dialogue of this new coalition here, featuring, among others, our Minister for Climate and Green Growth, Sophie Hermans, at the Advancing Energy Access and Clean Cooking Solutions conference.

Their shared goal: to translate political ambitions around clean cooking solutions into large-scale, fully financed implementation programs. A key element of the strategy is leveraging carbon credits as a tool to enable early-stage investments.

Carbon credits as a key to financing

During the international meeting, it was widely emphasized that carbon credits can play an important role in scaling up clean cooking. Both governments and market participants — including energy companies and investors — voiced support for stronger voluntary carbon markets and robust methodologies under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. France suggested that carbon credits could be easily combined with EU emission reduction targets, with a 5% contribution being achieved through carbon credits.

The idea is clear: revenues from certified emission reductions and strong carbon markets can help bridge the high costs of distribution, technology, and market development. This reduces risks for investors and accelerates scale.

For organizations like FairClimateFund, carbon finance has been an essential tool for years in enabling clean cooking projects. But there’s a clear requirement: quality is paramount.

The importance of integrity and national alignment

The discussions surrounding Article 6 and international trade in emission reductions underscore the importance of clear agreements to prevent double counting and ensure market confidence. Without robust standards such as those developed by Gold Standard and clear national authorization, projects can stall or investments become uncertain.

This underscores the importance of collaboration between project developers, governments, and international coalitions such as the CCAI. Clean cooking solutions are not standalone climate interventions but part of broader energy and development strategies.

FairClimateFund therefore always works in close coordination with local partners and governments. This way, we ensure that projects not only reduce CO₂ but also contribute to improved health, time savings for women, and tree protection. We want households to also benefit from the carbon credit revenues and advocate for fair benefit-sharing. This way, every project, in addition to CO₂ reduction, also generates numerous social benefits and addresses several Sustainable Development Goals.

From momentum to structural impact

The fact that organizations like the IEA, Clean Cooking Alliance, Rockefeller Foundation, and GEAPP, as well as numerous government ministers in Africa and the EU, are jointly calling for acceleration, demonstrates that clean cooking is moving higher up the international agenda. This is crucial: hundreds of millions of households worldwide still cook with wood and charcoal, with significant consequences for health, the climate, and the environment.

The real challenge now lies in implementation. International coalitions can provide direction and momentum, but sustainable impact only emerges when financing models, local markets, and national policy frameworks are well aligned.

Carbon finance can be a powerful catalyst in this — provided it is applied carefully and embedded within a broader development perspective.

For FairClimateFund, this remains the core: achieving climate impact that is demonstrable, socially responsible, fairly distributed, and scalable. FCF is committed to providing clean cooking solutions to the households that need them most.