Report says 2.3 billion people globally use polluting fuel to cook; 675 million have no electricity

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A report by five international organizations says up to 2.3 billion people around the world are still using polluting fuels to cook, and 675 million don’t have electricity. The report released Tuesday said that at current rates, 660 million people are projected to be without electricity and 1.9 billion won’t have clean cooking opportunities by 2030. That’s the target date to achieve a United Nations goal set in 2015 “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by the end of this decade. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said: “The energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to have a profound impact on people all around the world.”