Philippines Faces Gaps in Clean Cooking, Off-Grid Power

A new global report on energy development goals has revealed that the world remains behind in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which aims for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030.

The “Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025,” issued by the IEA, IRENA, UN Statistics Division, World Bank, and WHO, shows that progress has stalled, especially in clean cooking access and rural electrification.

According to the report, 2.1 billion people still lacked access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in 2023, while 666 million remained without electricity.

Clean cooking emerged as a critical weak point, with the report warning that 1.8 billion people will still rely on polluting fuels like wood and charcoal by 2030 if current trends continue.

“Governments and stakeholders across sectors need to scale up investments, prioritize vulnerable populations, and integrate clean cooking into broader energy access efforts,” the report urged.

While the Philippines has high national electrification rates, it shares challenges with the hardest-hit regions, such as rural gaps and low clean cooking adoption.

In many low-income Filipino households, biomass remains the primary fuel source, and LPG penetration is still uneven across rural provinces.

Efforts are ongoing to introduce alternatives like induction stoves and biogas systems, yet granular data by income and geography is lacking—an issue also noted by the report.

“With just five years left to achieve universal access to clean cooking under SDG 7, urgent action is needed,” the report stated.

The Philippines’ geography poses another hurdle, as many unelectrified areas are located on remote islands classified as unviable for grid extension.

In these areas, decentralized renewable energy (DRE) systems—such as solar mini-grids and home kits—offer a cost-effective and quicker alternative, as reaffirmed by the report.

“Off-grid solar is the most cost-effective solution for 41% of people without access to electricity,” the report stated, citing that in Sub-Saharan Africa, over half of new connections from 2020 to 2022 came from DRE systems.

In the Philippines, the Department of Energy has piloted solar mini-grids and Qualified Third Party (QTP) initiatives, but faces barriers in policy clarity and financing.

DRE systems also offer opportunities to attract private investment, especially when public and private sectors work in tandem to improve inclusivity.

However, clean energy financing remains a global concern, with only limited funds reaching least-developed countries, and most flows coming as debt instead of grants.

The Philippines must improve access to global climate finance, while also creating stronger domestic incentives for clean energy adoption.

The report offers key recommendations for the country: establish a national roadmap for clean cooking, expand off-grid models, collect better household data, and build public-private partnerships.