SMARTS New Publication: Urban cooking in the Global South: Social dimensions, urgency, and climate mitigation potential
Urban household cooking with clean fuel in the Global South: How soon can we close this unfinished development agenda?
Policies to enhance access to modern energy have not eliminated the use of polluting fuels in urban homes. It impacts family health and the environment. Home kitchen infrastructure, reliability of fuel supply, access and affordability of fuel and cooking equipment, household income, food preferences, gender roles, and reliable energy supplies all shape how people cook.
A new publication led by the SMARTS Center, Asian Institute of Technology, “Urban cooking in the Global South: Social dimensions, urgency, and climate mitigation potential” in Energy Research & Social Science, draws on evidence from studies covering 50 cities across 20 countries. The review focuses on the larger benefits of durable clean cooking transitions. What actions next?
Key findings:
💚Clean cooking improves physical and mental health, particularly for women and children, and saves cooking time
🍃Shifting to electric cooking can technically reduce CO₂ emissions by 17–32 million tonnes by 2035.
🍳 Geopolitical conflict-driven energy crisis sharpened this urgency: social practice, nutrition, energy security, and decarbonization imperatives are inseparable.
🛡Fuel security for Household cooking is managed by the decision to use several fuels to protect against price volatility and supply interruptions, and to meet specific cooking needs.
Four priorities for an inclusive and lasting transition:
(i) Reliable fuel supplies and appliance access with repair facilities.
(ii) Targeted and affordable financing for low-income and female-headed households.
(iii) National roadmaps linking past and ongoing LPG/PNG access with a planned near-term durable transition toward clean electric cooking.
(iv) Roadmap and Programme designs that are informed by women’s experiences and sensitive to various kitchen infrastructure.
Authors: Dr. Firuz Ahamed Nahid, Abhishek Das, Leila Niamir, Giulia Ulpiani, and Joyashree Roy
Read the paper:
