The Clean Cooking Alliance is an environmentalist initiative hosted by the United Nations Foundation that seeks to replace cooking fuels like charcoal, wood, and kerosene that are widely used in developing countries. ¹ The foundation’s board of directors officially governs CCA and maintains fiduciary responsibility for the organization. ^{2 3}

The organization receives funding from bilateral and multilateral government agencies, private grantmaking foundations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), individuals, and corporations. These donors include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Global Affairs Canada, Irish Aid, Sempra, and Osprey Foundation. ⁴

Dymphna van der Lans, the CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance, formerly served as the senior director for public policy programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and was also the CEO of the Clinton Climate Initiative, an environmental program of the Clinton Foundation. ⁵

History

The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), formerly known as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, is a left-of-center initiative hosted by the United Nations Foundation, a private charitable nonprofit organization that supports the initiatives and advocacy of the United Nations. CCA’s oversight is governed by the foundation, and the organization’s audited financials are included in the UN Foundation’s tax return forms. ⁶

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves was announced in 2010 by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City. The U.S. Department of State and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) helped create the organization, which upon its founding, announced a goal that called for “100 million homes to adopt clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020.” ⁷

The United States government obligated more than $80 million to the organization and the clean cooking sector through 2014. The U.S. Department of State’s website notes that the government’s financial support of the organization could have reached $325 million through 2020. ⁸

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves changed its name to the Clean Cooking Alliance in 2018. ⁹

Affiliated Organizations

The Clean Cooking Alliance is an initiative hosted by the United Nations Foundation. The foundation’s board of directors officially governs CCA and maintains fiduciary responsibility for the organization. The foundation also provides CCA with operational support and holds a seat on the organization’s leadership council. CCA’s financial information is included under the UN Foundation’s tax return disclosures. ¹⁰

CCA receives funding from bilateral and multilateral government agencies, private grantmaking foundations, non-governmental organizations, individuals, and corporations. These donors include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Global Affairs Canada, Irish Aid, Sempra, and Osprey Foundation. ¹¹

CCA is also a partner of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, the World Bank, and is a member of the Nature 4 Climate Initiative, a London-based program of the Nature Conservancy that collaborates with international left-of-center environmentalist groups and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote left-of-center environmental policies. ^{12 13 14}

People

Dymphna van der Lans, the CEO of the Clean Cooking Alliance, formerly served as the senior director for public policy programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a nonprofit think-tank founded in 1972 by Willy Brandt, at the time West German Chancellor and leader of the left-of-center Social Democratic Party. ^{15 16}

She was chosen to be an inaugural ambassador of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) initiative. She was also the CEO of the Clinton Climate Initiative, an environmental program of the Clinton Foundation, a global philanthropic organization created and run by former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and their daughter, liberal pundit Chelsea Clinton. ^{17 18}

1. “Home.” Clean Cooking Alliance, June 22, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/.
2. “Financial Donors.” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/financials-donors/.
3. “2022 Annual Report (Page 28).” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CCA-2022-Annual-Report.pdf.
4. “Financial Donors.” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/financials-donors/.
5. “Dymphna van der Lans.” John Hopkins University. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://sais.jhu.edu/users/dlans1-0.
6. “Financial Donors.” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/financials-donors/.
7. “Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.” U.S. Department of State. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/partnerships/cleancookstoves/index.htm.
8. “Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.” U.S. Department of State. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/partnerships/cleancookstoves/index.htm.
9. “Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is Now the Clean Cooking Alliance.” Markets Insider. October 30, 2018. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/global-alliance-for-clean-cookstoves-is-now-the-clean-cooking-alliance-1027670889.
10. “2022 Annual Report (Page 28).” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CCA-2022-Annual-Report.pdf.
11. “Financial Donors.” Clean Cooking Alliance. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://cleancooking.org/financials-donors/.
12. Alliance, Clean Cooking. “Clean Cooking Alliance.” Climate & Clean Air Coalition. November 8, 2021. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/partners/clean-cooking-alliance.
13. Group, World Bank. “Moving the Needle on Clean Cooking for All.” May 24, 2023. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2023/01/19/moving-the-needle-on-clean-cooking-for-all.
14. “About Us.” Nature 4 Climate Initiative. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://nature4climate.org/about/.
15. “Dymphna van der Lans.” John Hopkins University. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://sais.jhu.edu/users/dlans1-0.
16. Siegel, Nicholas. “The German Marshall Fund of the United States: A Brief History.” Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation. May 9, 2012. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/news/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
17. “Dymphna van der Lans.” John Hopkins University. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://sais.jhu.edu/users/dlans1-0.
18. Haberman, Maggie. “Foundation renamed for all 3 Clintons.” POLITICO. April 8, 2013. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/foundation-renamed-for-all-three-clintons-089759.