Policy recommendations for clean cooking access in Freetown, Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, access to energy – electricity and clean cooking – is currently far from optimal. Only 27% of the population has access to electricity from the grid, while access to clean cooking fuels and technologies is at a much lower level of about 1%, with the majority (99%) relying on traditional biomass fuels like firewood (72%) and charcoal (27%) for cooking (International Trade Association, 2024). However, the government is working with international organisations such as the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to address its regular blackouts by deploying standalone solar systems and mini-grids in communities and the healthcare sector. Sierra Leone was amongst the 130 countries and organisations that endorsed the high-level declaration on Making Clean Cooking a Priority at the recent IEA Summit on Clean Cooking in France in May 2024. The declaration clearly demonstrates shared commitments, reaffirming countries’ and organisations’ actions and cooperation in addressing the lack of clean cooking access. Sierra Leone, in its updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), has also indicated its commitment by assuring that there would be a similar focus on policies for clean cooking (UNFCCC, 2022).