A Roadmap for Access to Clean Cooking Energy in India

Urban residential energy switching in China between 1980 and 2014 prevents 2.2 million premature deaths

This study examines regional disparities and socio-demographic factors influencing clean cooking energy use among women in Nigeria. Utilizing data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, we analyzed a sample of 41,256 women aged 15-49. Our analysis reveals marked regional disparities, with the southwest showing the highest clean cooking energy use at 42.88% and the northeast the lowest at 1.32%. Bivariate analysis indicates that women in the South-South (COR: 2.31, 95% CI: 2.06-2.58, p < 0.001) and South-West (COR: 7.21, 95% CI: 6.53-7.97, p < 0.001) are significantly more likely to use clean energy compared to those in the North-Central. Multivariable logistic regression identifies wealth (AOR: 234.37, 95% CI: 96.89-566.92, p < 0.001), education (AOR: 5.30, 95% CI: 4.25-6.62, p < 0.001), and urban residence (AOR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.53-0.65, p < 0.001) as significant determinants of clean cooking energy use. These findings highlight the need for targeted policies to address regional and socio-demographic disparities and promote equitable access to clean cooking energy across Nigeria

Adoption of clean cooking energy in Uganda remains limited, with the majority of households still dependent on traditional biomass fuels like firewood and charcoal. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the use of clean cooking energy using nationally representative data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. The analysis included 18,956 households and applied descriptive statistics, chi-square tests for bivariate associations, and multivariable logistic regression to assess adjusted relationships, while accounting for the complex survey design and sampling weights. Findings revealed that the likelihood of using clean cooking energy was significantly higher among households headed by individuals with a university-level education. Wealthy households were 9.5 times more likely to use clean cooking energy compared to the poorest households. Ownership of household assets such as televisions and radios was also influential, as these media sources increased awareness of modern cooking fuels. Households in Tooro had 90% higher likelihood of using clean cooking energy, while those in North Buganda, Bukedi, West Nile, and Kigezi had significantly lower odds. Households with separate outdoor kitchens or those cooking outdoors had a 90% lower likelihood of using clean cooking energy. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted policies aimed at improving access to clean energy, particularly through infrastructure expansion, regional equity measures, and financial incentives such as subsidies and microfinance, to accelerate the transition to cleaner, healthier cooking practices in Uganda.

Promoting access to clean household cooking energy is an important subject for policy making in low‐ and middle‐income countries, in light of urgent and global efforts to achieve universal energy access by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 7). In 2014, the World Health Organization issued “Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Household Fuel Combustion”, which recommended a shift to cleaner fuels rather than promotion of technologies that more efficiently combust solid fuels. This study fills an important gap in the literature on transitions to household use of clean cooking energy by reviewing supply chain considerations for clean fuel options in low‐ and middle‐income countries. For the purpose of this study, we consider electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), alcohol fuels, biogas, and compressed biomass pellets burned in high performing gasifier stoves to be clean fuel options. Each of the clean fuels reviewed in this study, as well as the supply of electricity, presents both constraints and opportunities for enhanced production, supply, delivery, and long‐term sustainability and scalability in resource‐poor settings. These options are reviewed and discussed together with policy and regulatory considerations to help in making these fuel and energy choices available and affordable. Our hope is that researchers, government officials and policy makers, and development agencies and investors will be aided by our comparative analysis of these clean household energy choices.

The potential positive impact of clean energy on sustainable development is widely recognised in economic development discussions. This study analysed rural-urban variation in clean cooking energy usage in Tanzania, using data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS). The findings highlighted key determinants of household cooking fuel choices, with education level, household wealth, and household size identified as significant predictors. A Fairlie decomposition technique revealed that, on average, rural households have a lower probability of using clean energy for cooking compared to urban households. The decomposition analysis showed that the rural-urban gap in clean energy adoption is primarily explained by differences in household wealth (80.5%), household size (7.5%), and the education level of the household head (4.4%). Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government introduce targeted financial support and subsidies for low-income households, particularly in rural areas. In addition, both government and non-governmental organisations should invest in large-scale education and awareness campaigns to promote the benefits of clean cooking energy. Policies should also encourage the development and distribution of energy-efficient and affordable cooking technologies, such as improved biomass stoves that are fuel-efficient and less harmful to health. These interventions will help bridge the rural-urban divide in terms of clean energy access and support sustainable development in Tanzania.

Influence of cooking energy for people’s health in rural China: Based on CLDS data in 2014

What are the priorities for improving the cleanliness of energy consumption in rural China? Urbanisation advancement or agriculture development?

The adoption and use of clean cooking energy is a global and national priority; however, the household energy landscape of Nepal continues to rely heavily on biomass fuels like firewood, cow dung, and charcoal. Natural shocks can disrupt the utilization of relatively cleaner energy sources like biogas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This study examines the impact of natural shocks on the adoption and usage of clean cooking fuels focusing on LPG. Using data from the third wave of the Household Risk and Vulnerability Survey 2018, logistic regression is employed to analyze both the likelihood of LPG adoption and household expenditure on LPG under conditions of natural shocks. The findings reveal that households experiencing natural shocks are 5 percent less on average likely to adopt biogas or LPG. Furthermore, household expenditure on LPG decreases by 4.43 percent relative to cooking fuel expenses particularly for firewood by the households experiencing natural shocks. This reduction highlights a decline in the intensity of clean energy use among households concurrently using LPG and firewood. These results underscore the negative effects of natural shocks on the transition to clean cooking fuels posing challenges to achieving sustainable adoption of clean energy solutions.

BackgroundThere have been notable joint efforts from the private and public sectors in promoting households’ access to clean and efficient energy sources. Despite the noteworthy progress realized over the years, the consumption and reliance on clean energy sources are reportedly low. This scenario is evident among households practicing multiple energy use, whereby energy proportions consumed from the clean energy sources are much lower compared to non-clean energy sources. As such, reliance on non-clean energy has greatly hindered the projected welfare and productive gains that comes along with access to clean energy sources. To understand households’ energy consumption behavior, this study takes into consideration that energy preference (choice) and intensity (proportions consumed) are two independent decisions. Therefore, a succinct understanding of the factors affecting these decisions acts as a basis for an optimal transition to clean energy sources.MethodsThe study utilized a nationally representative cross-sectional household dataset (3663 households) across Kenya. A series of diagnostic and specification tests were carried out so as to identify the most suitable estimation technique in achieving the underlying objectives of the study. The preference for Cragg’s double-hurdle model was premised on the fact that the model postulates that households must pass two separate hurdles before a positive level of consuption is observed. Maximum likelihood estimations were derived, followed by the marginal effects for the probability of participation and consumption intensity (conditional and unconditional) to unveil the effects of explanatory variables on the dependent variable.ResultsResults show the diversity in magnitude and direction of how various factors affect the preference and consumption intensity among households. For instance, households’ energy preference and consumption intensity are predominantly affected by location (rural or urban), household’s decision maker on energy use, education level, age of the household head, and the average monthly income.ConclusionIn this regard, the promotion of clean energy use should target households in rural areas and households with lower level of education and lower income brackets. Uptake of clean energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas should be encouraged among rural and urban poor households through reducing the upfront cost of acquiring cylinders and the refilling costs.

The quest towards a low carbon economy and to achieve the SDG 7 of access to a clean, affordable and modern energy for all has led to numerous studies that seek to examine the determinants of clean energy adoption. Despite the numerous studies previously conducted that have sought to explain the clean energy transition, the role that health facilities play in promoting clean energy use at the household level remains to be explored. This study investigates the effect of health care facilities on households’ energy adoption using survey data from Ghana and ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation techniques. The study further examines the different effects of different types of health facilities on clean energy adoption. The results show that the presence of a health facility in a community has positive effects on the likelihood of choosing cleaner energy sources for cooking at the household level. Furthermore, lower-level health facilities tend to have a bigger effect on clean energy adoption compared to higher level facilities such as hospitals and clinics. Robustness analyses confirm these findings. The pathways through which this relationship potentially occurs and the implications for increasing adoption of clean energy fuels are discussed.

The impact of credit accessibility on rural households clean cooking energy consumption: The case of Ghana

Liquidity constraints are a key barrier to acquisition and sustained use of clean household energy in resource-poor settings. This study evaluates a pilot microfinance initiative in Kenya to help low-income rural households access liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking. Program beneficiaries received a six-month loan that covered all equipment costs and was to be repaid in monthly installments. We present results from surveys of beneficiaries (n = 69) after they began using LPG, as well as 332 non-beneficiaries from the same community (to understand how beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries differ in cooking patterns and socioeconomic outcomes). 94% of beneficiaries had repaid their loan in full and on time at the time of data collection. Meanwhile, beneficiaries were more likely than non-beneficiaries to use LPG as their primary cooking fuel (76.8% of beneficiaries versus 38.8% of non-beneficiaries). While 81.1% of beneficiaries who used LPG as their primary cooking fuel reported multiple fuel use, we find beneficiaries increased LPG use by 5.9 h per week with a corresponding decrease of 4.8 h in weekly use of biomass fuel. Our findings suggest that promoting LPG usage through microloans for equipment is likely to be both commercially viable and beneficial to health through decreased use of polluting biomass fuel.

Threat of air pollution in the cleanest plateau

Breathing Room: Cleaner Fuels for Home Cooking in LMICs.

Ethnicity/caste-based social differentiation and the consumption of clean cooking energy in Nepal: An exploration using panel data