Required knowledge for clean cooking transition: The case of Tanzania

Abstract

In sub-Saharan Africa, four out of five people use biomass fuels for household energy, with associated health and environmental problems. Interventions for clean cooking transitions tend to simplify agency and adoption motivations, with knowledge gaps in policy design. Drawing perspectives from own research from Tanzania, we focus on four key dimensions: household energy needs, climate, health, and the policy context. Six recommendations are highlighted for future research to inform evidence-based policy. First, gender is intrinsically associated with energy use patterns contradicting the common narrative that modern energy technologies can empower women. Second, fuel stacking is very common, and higher quality data is needed to better assess health and climate impacts from the energy use mix. Third, fossil LPG results in lower climate impacts than biomass energy, especially in contexts with high rates of deforestation. This challenges the dichotomy of renewable and non-renewable energy. Fourth, we query the polarity of clean vs. non-clean fuels, with charcoal found to be less polluting indoors once the stove has been lit outside. Fifth, energy policy effectiveness may be increased by combining Pay-As-You-Go fuel technologies with social services and policies beyond the energy sector. Sixth; poverty exacerbates the challenges of making decisions on essential household expenditure. Hence, policies should address poverty to ensure widespread adoption of clean fuels. The policy perspectives presented here are relevant for low and middle-income countries where the majority of the population relies on biomass fuels for their household energy.