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Globally, roughly . Yet in many countries, these meals are still prepared over open fires or polluting stoves—not by choice, but because affordable, reliable alternatives don’t exist. In sub-Saharan Africa, school kitchens burn an estimated Ìýof firewood annually, releasing 12–14 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Daily meal preparation exposes children, teachers, and kitchen staff to harmful smoke from firewood and charcoal, increasing the risk of respiratory and noncommunicable illnesses and undermining the very health and education goals that school feeding programs aim to support.

Photo: Bettering Human Lives Foundation

Heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal also strains institutional budgets, accelerates environmental degradation, and contributes to climate change. Transitioning institutions away from polluting cookstoves and fuels and toward cleaner, more efficient cooking solutions can significantly reduce pressure on forests, cut carbon emissions, and create safer, healthier cooking environments for entire school communities. Because of their scale and consistent demand, institutions are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful progress that benefits both people and the planet.Ìý

Photo: Kenya’s Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Chnage

As a member of the School Meals Coalition, ÉÙ¸¾×Ôο supports global efforts to ensure that school feeding programs include and advocate for clean cooking solutions. Through its partnerships, ÉÙ¸¾×Ôο provides technical assistance, supports policy development, strengthens supply chains for modern fuels and technologies, and helps countries mobilize finance for large-scale transitions. By aligning public-sector leadership with market-based approaches, ÉÙ¸¾×Ôο helps institutions move away from polluting fuels and adopt clean cooking solutions that improve the lives of entire communities.Ìý

Photo: Kenya’s Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change

ÉÙ¸¾×Ôο launched the inaugural Clean Cooking Delivery Unit (DU) in Kenya, embedded within the Office of the President and reporting directly to Special Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed. The DU works across government to strengthen coordination, rapidly address bottlenecks, support clean cooking implementation, and translate political will into action and investment. The Special Envoy has prioritized institutional cooking and requested the Delivery Unit’s support on this issue.Ìý

TheÌýDUÌýhosted the first-everÌýHigh-Level Summit on Unlocking Finance and Investments for Institutional Clean Cooking in Kenya, held in Nairobi on October 28 and 29, 2025. Over 250 stakeholders from education, health, environment, finance, and the private sector participated. During the summit, participants committed to the Nairobi Action Plan, a roadmap to achieve a full transition to institutional clean cooking by 2028.ÌýÌýÉÙ¸¾×Ôο is working alongside the DU and the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change to mobilize investment, align policy, and advance large scale clean cooking transitions in schools, hospitals and prisons across Kenya.

Read more about the SummitÌý