Universal clean cooking access could be reached worldwide by 2030 with yearly investment of $8-billion, and clean cooking is a cornerstone of global efforts to improve energy access, gender equity, economic development and human dignity, says global body the International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Dr Fatih Birol. Nearly one-in-three people around the world cook their meals over open fires or on basic stoves, resulting in significant damage to health, living standards and gender equality.