Why is it important?
Cookstoves are a daily necessity for billions of people worldwide. 2.3 billion people depend on open fires or inefficient stoves to cook globally. (1) To address this need, international organisations have distributed over 115 million clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels since 2010, mostly focusing on rural and low-income settings. (2) However, many of these stoves rely on biomass fuels like wood and charcoal, leading to significant environmental and health consequences. The use of these fuels contributes to deforestation, exacerbating climate change. Additionally, the toxic emissions from these stoves cause serious respiratory illnesses, particularly among women, who are often the primary cooks in their households.
Moreover, the burden of fuel collection falls heavily on women and children, who can spend up to 20 hours a week gathering firewood. (3) As firewood becomes scarcer, especially in regions like Africa, these individuals are forced to walk increasingly long distances, sometimes up to a day, to find fuel. This not only exposes them to the risk of abuse in isolated areas but also takes away time they could use for education, work, or other productive activities. (4)
What's the solution?
Increasing access to both efficient stoves and fuels is key to promoting clean cooking. When cooking for large groups in settings such as refugee camps, schools, and hospitals, prioritising institutional stoves can lead to greater savings in money, fuel, and time compared to household stoves. Incorporating heat retention systems, made from materials like hay or cloth, can also improve cooking efficiency by preventing heat loss. When selecting stoves, choose the least impactful option based on the context. However, consider the availability and cultural acceptability of fuel, ensuring infrastructure is in place for easy refills. Additionally, improving ventilation is crucial, as even low-emission stoves can be harmful in poorly ventilated spaces. Finally, training users on proper stove use and maintenance is essential to maximise the environmental and health benefits of clean cooking technologies.
Implementing clean cooking practices and technology can help mitigate the environmental and health problems attributed to inefficient stoves and biomass fuels.
Point of attention
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Point of attention
Key actions
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#1 Prioritise institutional stoves in refugee camps, schools, and hospitals
Choose institutional stoves when cooking for a large group because they can have larger monetary, fuel, and time saving relative to household stove changes. (13)
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#2 Use heat retention systems
Selecting stoves with heat retention systems are traditional and efficient ways to cook items. Often made of hay, cloth, or another material it makes it easier to cook after setting the right temperature because the insulation prevents the heat from dissipating. (14)
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#3 Choose the least impactful stove depending on the setting
Prioritise electric stoves that use energy from decarbonised sources, however, the context and accessibility of electricity and the price of electric stoves should be considered. Solar cookers do not produce emissions when used, but are only adapted for certain climates because they must be in the sun during midday. LPG and ethanol (from renewable sources) stoves are less emissive than biomass or coal, but LPG remains a fossil source. Fuel for biomass stoves is often collected unsustainably and most improved cookstoves do not comply with clean cooking standards. Use efficient cookstoves. Refer to the MECS/WFP report for an overview of options.
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#4 Consider the accessibility and acceptability of fuel
Make alternative fuels more accessible to be competitive. This will involve establishing an infrastructure for refills to ensure that the fuel is adopted. Stoves are usually designed for a specific fuel so making sure the fuel is available will help ensure the use of the stoves. (15) The cultural context and the cost of fuel are additional factors that need to be considered.
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#5 Increase ventilation
Increase ventilation as a low-emission stove in a room with poor ventilation can be more harmful to human health than a high-emission stove used outside with good ventilation. Location and design should be considered in clean cooking systems. (16)
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#6 Increase training for proper stoves use
Train users on the proper use and maintenance of provided stoves. As relevant, address barriers to uptake. In order to achieve positive environmental and respiratory health impacts from the use of clean stoves and fuels users must use them exclusively and correctly. (17)
To consider
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Potential co-benefits
- Health improvements: Reduced health risks for households and communities.
- Environmental benefits: Cleaner and healthier community environment.
- Cleaner and healthier community environment.
- Resource conservation: Reduced need for raw materials such as firewood.
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Success conditions
- Community engagement: Widespread adoption by households and community leaders.
- Financial accessibility: Access to financial resources for purchase and maintenance.
- Cross-sector collaboration: Collaboration between government, NGOs, and local communities.
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Prerequisites & specificities
- Regulatory compliance: Adherence to local and national safety and emissions regulations.
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Potential risks
- Infrastructure challenges: Inadequate infrastructure for clean fuel supply.
- User education: Improper use or lack of maintenance of the stoves.
- Economic barriers: High costs preventing adoption in low-income communities.
Tools and good practices
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USAID, Clean and efficient cooking technologies and fuels, 2017
A toolkit for project developers to speed up developments on the cookstove sector. It provides an overview of the sectors challenges and best practices specifically highlighting trends and a list of key questions and action points.
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Powering Progress: Market creation strategies for solar e-cooking technologies in off-grid and displaced communities
This report emphasises the importance of e-cooking technologies as a climate and development issue and focuses on the need for market creation strategies and operational reforms in the humanitarian sector.
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UNHCR: Protection-sensitive access to clean cooking, 2021
Provides a list of criteria for selecting cooking fuels, stoves, and implementation.
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Clean Cooking Alliance: clean cooking catalogue
A catalogue of stoves that can be filtered by fuel, test results, price, region and characteristics. The terms of performance with regard to thermal efficiency and carbon monoxide etc. is also provided to help informed procurement decisions.
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Clean Cooking Alliance: Fuel Analysis, Comparison & Integration Tool (FACIT)
This study helps stakeholders compare and optimise fuel choices for cleaner cooking solutions. It visually compares the impacts and trade-offs of different fuels used to provide energy for cooking by considering the environmental, social, and economic considerations of the production, processing and distribution.
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To go further
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World Bank, Breaking barriers: improving access to clean cooking in displacement settings, 2023
The report discusses the prevalent use of substandard stoves and polluting fuels, and underscores the importance of integrating modern, clean cooking technologies within humanitarian aid programs. The report emphasises the need for partnerships between humanitarian and development sectors to create sustainable energy access models, address local environmental and health issues, and promote gender equality.
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Clean Cooking Alliance, Unit economics framework and analysis for the clean cooking sector, 2024
Offers insights into the financial viability and sustainability of clean cooking solutions by examining the costs, revenues, and profitability of various clean cooking technologies. The report aims to help stakeholders understand the economic dynamics and create effective business models to scale clean cooking solutions. The analysis includes case studies, cost structures, and recommendations for improving unit economics in the sector.
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World Food Programme, Clean and modern energy for cooking - a path to food security and sustainable development, 2023
The document highlights initiatives like promoting energy-efficient stoves and innovative cooking technologies in schools and communities to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.
Explore here
Sources
(1) Clean Cooking Alliance, “Climate, Environment, and Clean Cooking”, Available here (Accessed 23 August 2024).
(2) Clean Cooking Alliance, “Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is Now the Clean Cooking Alliance” 2018, Available here (Accessed 23 August 2024)
(3) UNHCR, “Light Years Ahead: Innovative Technology for Better Refugee Protection”, 2012, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(4) UNHCR, “Light Years Ahead: Innovative Technology for Better Refugee Protection”, 2012, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(5) Winrock International, “Clean and Efficient Cooking Technologies and Fuels”, USAID, 2017, P. 15, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(6) A. Shankar et al., “Maximizing the benefits of improved cookstoves: moving from acquisition to correct and consistent use”, Global Health: Science and Practice, 2014, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024)
(7) Clean Cooking Alliance, “The Value of Clean Cooking”, 2024, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(8) Clean Cooking Alliance, “The Value of Clean Cooking”, 2024, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(9) Clean Cooking Alliance, “Climate, Environment, and Clean Cooking”, Available here (Accessed 23 August 2024).
(10) Clean Cooking Alliance, “The Value of Clean Cooking”, 2024, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(11) German Cooperation “Retained heat cooker saves fuel and energy” Germany, Available here , (Accessed 23 August 2024).
(12) Clean Cooking Alliance, “The Value of Clean Cooking”, 2024, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(13) Winrock International, “Clean and Efficient Cooking Technologies and Fuels”, USAID, 2017, p. 28, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(14) UNHCR, “Light Years Ahead: Innovative Technology for Better Refugee Protection”, 2012, p. 7, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(15) Winrock International, “Clean and Efficient Cooking Technologies and Fuels”, USAID, 2017, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(16) UNHCR, “Protection-sensitive access to clean cooking”, US Department of State BPRM, 2021, p. 14, Available here , (Accessed 5 August 2024).
(17) Winrock International, “Clean and Efficient Cooking Technologies and Fuels”, USAID, 2017, P. 15, Available here, (Accessed 5 August 2024).
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Cover photo: Ricky Singh/Unsplash