Clean Cooking Investments: Data gaps and priorities for SDG7 progress

However, investment data on the sector remain scarce, and existing datasets often lack the project-level detail that governments and investors need for informed decisions. As a result, capital is sometimes directed toward enterprises unable or unwilling to absorb it, or delivered using instruments that do not match companies’ needs, hindering effective disbursement of already limited funds. Without targeted efforts to generate and share robust data, initiatives directed towards garnering support and investments towards clean cooking are likely to face reduced success.

In its first undertaking of tracking global investments in clean cooking, IRENA carried out a comprehensive review of previous and ongoing international initiatives that compile data on clean cooking investments. The review revealed significant data gaps in areas such as domestic government and private sector investments, where data were almost entirely absent; and philanthropic investments, which have received minimal attention in previous tracking efforts. These gaps were compounded by methodological challenges, including low response rates to surveys requesting project-level details and the absence of a dedicated clean cooking tag in the OECD database.

At the same time, the review identified several opportunities to strengthen the data landscape, which are all dependent on strong partnerships and collaboration.

Objectives

The webinar will provide insights garnered through the process of developing and applying methods that enabled the first global tracking of investments by Global South Governments in clean cooking. The discussions will explore the following topics:

• Defining clear boundaries for what qualifies as clean cooking investment, including which technologies, parts of the ecosystem, and types of financial flows that should be included
• Aligning methodologies across organisations to ensure consistent tracking and prevent conflicting figures or mixed messaging between agencies
• Identifying priority areas for collaboration among data agencies, governments, donors, and investors.
• Balancing the need for comprehensive, high-quality investment datasets—which can take time to develop—with the urgency of mobilising funds to address the clean cooking challenge.
• Determining how best to leverage government data, alongside identifying the support needed to strengthen its quality, consistency, and ongoing maintenance.