Carbon finance helps cleaner stoves reach millions of African homes

Mary Kavutha cooks several meals for about 80 cents in electricity tokens, after previously spending roughly $1.15 a day on smoky charcoal.

Nearly one billion Africans still rely on firewood or charcoal. The International Energy Agency estimates that household air pollution from these fuels contributes to about 850,000 deaths a year.

Clean-cooking companies are using carbon-credit finance to cut the upfront price of cleaner stoves. Nairobi-based BURN says it has distributed more than 7.3 million stoves in 11 countries; an efficient biomass model can fall from about $40 to $5 after subsidies. Other firms are tailoring pellet, induction and solar-powered options to local fuel and electricity conditions. African governments have introduced 121 clean-cooking policies since 2015, while $900 million in new commitments was announced in June.

The model links lower household costs with cleaner air, but carbon markets face questions about credit quality and delayed payments. One Kenyan company closed after failing to secure government authorisation.

Companies and governments must now show that stronger verification and mixed financing can sustain expansion without making carbon credits the only foundation.