World Bank, Govt Advance Plans for Nat’l Clean Cooking Program | Business

A major training and validation workshop aimed at unlocking investment opportunities and accelerating market development in Liberia’s clean cooking sector has brought together government officials, development partners, private sector actors, civil society organizations, and energy experts to chart a new path toward universal access to clean cooking solutions.

The workshop, which attracted 43 participants from across the energy and development landscape, focused on reviewing and validating findings, recommendations, and strategic directions emerging from the Clean Cooking Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) initiative.

The exercise was conducted by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA).

The initiative comes at a critical time as Liberia faces one of the lowest clean cooking access rates globally, with the overwhelming majority of households still relying on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal.

Between February and June 2026, a comprehensive assessment was undertaken to examine the state of the country’s clean cooking sector. The study produced three major deliverables that are expected to shape Liberia’s future energy policies and investment priorities.

These include a technical report that maps clean cooking fuels, technologies, consumer demand, and supply-chain actors throughout the country; a strategic note designed to provide evidence-based recommendations for the development of Liberia’s first National Clean Cooking Strategy; and a concept note outlining the structure of a proposed World Bank-supported National Clean Cooking Program.

Findings from the assessment paint a stark picture of the country’s cooking energy challenges while also highlighting significant opportunities for transformation.

According to the report, only 0.8 percent of Liberia’s population currently has access to clean cooking fuels and technologies—a figure that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 20 years. Meanwhile, 96.1 percent of households continue to depend on firewood or charcoal for cooking, and approximately three-quarters of Liberians remain trapped in the lowest tier of cooking energy access.

The assessment also revealed the enormous economic consequences of maintaining the status quo.

A cost-of-inaction analysis conducted as part of the study estimates that Liberia loses approximately US$3.08 billion annually due to continued reliance on traditional cooking fuels. This amount represents nearly 64 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The analysis attributes US$1.01 billion of these losses to health-related impacts caused by household air pollution, US$1.88 billion to gender-related productivity losses, and an additional US$190 million to climate and environmental externalities.

Without significant policy reforms and investment interventions, the report projects that Liberia’s clean cooking access rate will increase only marginally to 1.1 percent by 2035.

Speaking during the workshop, Omar V. Al Sherif, Energy Specialist at the World Bank Liberia Country Office, emphasized the importance of the initiative in supporting Liberia’s broader energy and development objectives.

“This analytical work aligns with the Government of Liberia Energy Compact, and it will facilitate access to clean cooking solutions, policy development, and technical assistance,” Al Sherif said.

Participants used the workshop to discuss practical strategies for accelerating adoption of clean cooking technologies and creating a sustainable market ecosystem capable of attracting private investment.

Stakeholders stressed the need for direct engagement with households, communities, institutions, and other end-users to ensure solutions are tailored to local realities and consumer needs.

They also highlighted the importance of integrating gender equality and social inclusion considerations throughout program design and implementation, formalizing clean cooking enterprises, strengthening coordination mechanisms among stakeholders, and adopting a phased implementation approach that establishes market foundations before scaling up interventions nationwide.

Officials noted that such an approach would help ensure that vulnerable populations are not excluded from the transition to modern cooking technologies.

Joebarline Gbozee, Director of the Bureau of Energy Planning, Research and Policy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, described the initiative as a critical step toward expanding energy access and encouraging private sector participation in Liberia’s energy sector.

“The WBG ongoing support to Liberia’s clean cooking commitments within the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) represents a significant step toward achieving universal access to modern clean energy solutions that would lay foundation for private sector participation,” Gbozee said.

Stakeholders agreed that addressing Liberia’s clean cooking crisis extends beyond energy access alone.

The assessment concludes that clean cooking is fundamentally linked to public health, environmental protection, climate resilience, gender equality, forest conservation, and poverty reduction. As a result, expanding access to cleaner cooking solutions is increasingly being viewed as a cross-cutting national development priority.

The World Bank Group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Liberia’s transition toward cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking technologies as part of its broader agenda to improve energy access, promote climate action, and enhance economic opportunities across the country.