The real cost

The scale of the problem is striking. In Kenya alone, 70% of households rely on firewood and charcoal, and in rural areas this rises to over 90%. In schools, where the problem is sharpest, about 9 in 10 institutions still use wood fires, burning 1.3 million tonnes of firewood annually. This is not a household problem. It is a national one.

The real cost runs deeper than fuel bills. As much of this cooking happens inside, the smoke it produces is laced with toxic particles. This type of household air pollution led to 2.9 million2 premature deaths in 2021 and is part of a larger crisis driving climate change and biodiversity loss. Respiratory diseases, eye infections and lung damage are the daily hazards of traditional cooking. Deforestation, soil erosion and biodiversity loss accelerate as the pressure on forests remains relentless. Women and girls spend hours gathering fuel while children miss school to search for firewood. Long cooking times delay meals and limit opportunity for other work. Schools and public institutions pour money into firewood costs that will never come down, yet a single school can save thousands annually by switching to electric cooking.

Modern electric cooking removes smoke from kitchens and cuts fuel costs whilst saving time. For schools, the economics work. Switch to electric cooking and you save money year on year whilst avoiding significant emissions. Scale that across thousands of schools, clinics and public kitchens and the impact becomes national, delivering cleaner air, stronger forests, more time for learning and work, and jobs created along the way.

Why Parliaments Must Lead

Clean cooking fails without parliamentary action because individual pilots fade and good intentions disappear. What's needed is the hard work of policy, budget allocation and oversight that only legislatures can provide.

Climate Parliament's legislators do three things that matter. First, they bring policy and finance together. A parliamentary motion connects clean cooking to health, environment and economic development whilst setting out practical steps including county-level policies, budgets that mainstream clean cooking, results-based financingand blended finance models that de-risk private investment. Without parliamentary backing, clean cooking stays fragmented. With it, national government, county governments, financial institutions and local businesses all move in the same direction.

Second, they unlock finance at scale. Upfront costs are the primary barrier, preventing many schools from investing even when long-term savings are obvious. Parliament creates the space for innovation by integrating clean cooking into public budgets, accessing climate finance, using carbon markets and building financing models that remove upfront costs from institutions.

Third, they connect policy to delivery. Parliamentarians are the link between national policy and what happens in their constituencies. Through oversight, budgeting and constituency-level engagement, they create the pathways for clean cooking to move from pilot projects to widespread adoption. They hold government to account and carry the message home to voters who depend on action.

What we do

Climate Parliament's network of legislators is remaking energy policy from the inside, to connect parliamentary leadership with finance, community action and technical expertise.

We build parliamentary coalitions for clean cooking policy and connect legislators with technical expertise and finance. We support parliamentary motions, bills and budget advocacy, facilitate knowledge exchange across countries and link parliamentary action to community implementation. Whether you're developing a parliamentary motion, designing a financing framework or building a scaling roadmap, we can help. Reach out to explore what parliamentary leadership on clean cooking looks like in your country.

Our Partners, MECS and GeCCo

Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Climate Parliament works with MECS, a UK Aid-funded research programme supporting the transition to clean cooking. MECS provides evidence, research and policy guidance to help parliamentarians understand the challenges and opportunities of moving away from polluting cooking fuels.

Global Electric Cooking Coalition (GeCCo) Climate Parliament is a partner of GeCCo, a global coalition working to accelerate access to electric cooking in developing countries. Through GeCCo, parliamentarians connect with expertise, networks and resources to support clean cooking policies and investment