Inaugural member countries open a new chapter for the Clean Cooking Alliance at the IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) hosted on 8 July 2026 the inaugural member government meeting of the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), marking a major milestone in strengthening international cooperation and establishing a dedicated multilateral platform to accelerate universal access to clean cooking within the IEA.

Twelve governments were represented at the inaugural meeting – Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States – with additional countries actively exploring membership.

Member governments will guide the strategic direction of the CCA and help shape the international clean cooking agenda, while benefiting from closer collaboration on policy development, technical support, and knowledge exchange. The Alliance will also provide a platform for countries to engage directly with development partners, industry, financiers, and civil society to strengthen national clean cooking markets, mobilise investment, and accelerate implementation.

At the IEA’s 2026 Ministerial Meeting, IEA member countries agreed to host the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) Secretariat within the IEA. The new arrangement brings under the IEA umbrella CCA’s on the ground implementation capacity with the IEA’s analytical expertise and convening power. The inaugural membership was formally announced by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol at the High-level Virtual Event on Clean Cooking held on 9 July.

"For more than a quarter of a century, the IEA has provided data, analysis and convening to elevate clean cooking to an international energy priority,” said Dr. Birol. “Bringing the Clean Cooking Alliance into the IEA marks the next chapter in that effort, creating an intergovernmental platform where advanced and developing economies work together as equal partners."

Dymphna van der Lans, who has led the Clean Cooking Alliance for the last 8 years, said: "This is an important moment for CCA and for the clean cooking sector. With the support of our inaugural members, CCA’s next chapter will be focused on helping countries move faster from ambition to implementation — strengthening coordination, supporting practical delivery, and mobilising the partnerships and resources. Operating at the IEA will help bring clean cooking more firmly into the global energy agenda, while allowing CCA to build on the partnerships, expertise and country relationships that have defined its work for more than a decade."