CCA听Launches NDC Tracker to Map Global Climate Commitments on Cooking
New tool reveals where听and how听countries are integrating clean cooking into their national climate plans听
WASHINGTON, DC,听28听May听2026听鈥� The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) today launched听the听Clean Cooking NDC Tracker, a publicly available resource that documents which low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) include clean cooking measures in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).听
An NDC is a formal plan听submitted听by a country to the United听Nations,听outlining its commitments to fight climate change听through measures such as reducing听carbon听emissions, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, or adapting to climate impacts. Countries听are required to听update their NDCs every five years, making them a primary mechanism through which governments translate global climate goals into national policy and investment priorities.听
Cooking is a significant, but often overlooked, source of climate-harming emissions.听Nearly 2.1听billion people worldwide rely on听inefficient open fires or stoves that burn听polluting fuels like wood, charcoal, and kerosene to cook their food. Cooking this way generates听super pollutants听such as black carbon and methane, as well as other greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.听At the same time,听reliance on biomass fuels puts pressure on forests.听Clean cooking is vital to combating global climate change,听reducing environmental degradation, and addressing health concerns such as air pollution,听making it a natural fit for national climate planning.听
CCA’s听NDC Tracker听compiles all clean cooking measures听identified听within the active NDCs of 131 LMICs. As of April 2026:听
- 98 countries (75%)听include at least one clean cooking-specific or broad household energy measure in their NDC.听听
- 66 countries听include at least one听explicit听clean cooking measure. An example of such a measure could be Available Tools鈥渁iming to increase听the听share of clean energy for cooking from 15% to 65% in 2030.鈥�听
- 32 countries听include only implicit clean cooking measures, such as broad household energy measures that could apply to either cooking, lighting, and/or heating.听
- South Asia听has the highest commitment level to clean cooking in NDCs, with 100% of LMICs including clean cooking-specific or broader household energy measures in their NDCs.听听
- For Sub-Saharan Africa,听where the need for clean cooking is the most concentrated,听the听NDC听commitment level is 98%.听听
“NDCs are one of the most powerful levers governments have to mobilize finance and political will for clean cooking,”听said听Elisa Derby, Senior Director of Climate Impacts and Standards at CCA.听“This tracker makes it possible, for the first time, to听easily听see the full picture of where clean cooking sits in the global climate agenda and where advocacy and investment are most urgently听needed.”听
Governments, donors, NGOs, and the private sector all need clear, reliable data to make the case for clean cooking as a climate priority.听By centralizing information on clean cooking commitments across 131 countries,听including the conditionality of those commitments and associated financial needs, the NDC Tracker听gives stakeholders a common evidence base for advocacy, investment, and accountability.听
The Clean Cooking NDC Tracker is available now at听cleancooking.org/ndc-tracker.听
