A geospatial approach to understanding clean cooking challenges in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Universal clean cooking is a key target under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, with implications for several other SDGs, such as good health, gender equality and climate. Yet, 2.4 billion people globally still lack access to clean cooking. The situation is especially dire in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where only 17% use clean options. We develop OnStove, an open-source spatial tool comparing the relative potential of different cookstoves on the basis of their costs and benefits, and apply it to SSA. Our results suggest a severe market failure as the currently most used solution, traditional biomass, produces the lowest social net-benefits nearly everywhere in SSA. Correcting this failure, which stems from multiple market and behavioural obstacles, would deliver significant health, time and emission benefits but requires identification and promotion of policies to transform cooking energy use. Spatial mapping offers a more nuanced understanding of the costs needed to deliver cleaner cooking transitions than was previously possible, which is useful for improved targeting of intervention strategies.

Are clean energy technologies a panacea for environmental sustainability in sub-Saharan African countries?

“…3), it will be impossible for the region to achieve Goal 7, and this will also contribute to failing to achieve SDGs 10, 3 and 11. Another key challenges facing access to clean fuels for cooking is market failure (Khavari et al, 2023). Markets alone do not seem to provide solutions that many people would bene t from.…”

“…Conversely, the switch to clean cooking fuels such as lique ed petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity is not possible for many households for cost reasons. For example, the cost of charcoal and wood is assumed to be zero, as these fuels are typically produced by the end user and collected directly from the environment (Khavari et al, 2023). Indeed, clean fuels for cooking in SSA are still expensive to use, and this discourages household consumers from using it.…”

“…One of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN) recognizes access to affordable, clean energy (SDG7) particulary renewable energy and clean cooking fuels. It is also worth noting that in the African context, access to clean, affordable, and safe energy helps reduce inequalities (SDG 10), improve health (SDG3), promote sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and climate action(Khavari et al, 2023;Aung et al, 2022). If energy poverty, particularly for cleancooking fuels, stands at 23% (see Table…”

Harmonising climate mitigation and sustainable development outcomes

“…Renewables are key to ensuring economic resilience in the energy sector, and were the only energy source that posted a growth in demand during the initial shock of the COVID-19 lockdowns, while demand in the sector overall declined globally by 3.8% 44 . Access to clean cookstoves translates into a host of socioeconomic net bene ts, including morbidity and mortality reduction, time saved for participation in education and the economy, and avoided health care and emissions costs 45 . Increased land lling including MSW threatens environmental integrity and human health 46 , resulting in a wide range of pollution outcomes including groundwater, air, odour, and marine pollution from runoff, as well as local population exposure to health risks, including carcinogenic material.…”