The use of traditional cookstoves, heatstoves, solid fuels and kerosene lamps by almost three billion people has a serious and negative impact on the global environment, as well as the health of millions.
The Coalition’s Household Energy Initiative works to scale up and accelerate the reduction of short-lived climate pollutant emissions from these sources globally, alongside long-lived greenhouse gases, to mitigate climate change, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment and human health.
Residential cooking, domestic heating, and lamps account for more than half of global anthropogenic black carbon emissions, a major component of fine particulate matter. Black carbon also has a per-unit warming capacity hundreds to thousands of times greater than that of carbon dioxide, making it one of the largest contributors to climate change. The collection of fuel wood for cooking and heating further contribute to climate change through forest degradation and land use changes.
3.8 million people a year die prematurely from illness attributable to the household air pollution caused by the inefficient use of solid fuels and kerosene for cooking. Additionally, tens of millions are sickened, injured or burned each year as a result of using biomass as fuel. Women and children experience a disproportionate share of these health impacts. Women and girls, who often collect biomass fuel far from the safety of their homes, are also at high risk of violence and injury and bear the greatest time-loss burden collecting biomass for fuel.
The scope and severity of impacts from cookstoves, heatstoves, and kerosene lamps on the health and environment of nearly half of the world’s population necessitate an immediate and concerted response from the global research, policy, and donor communities. Wide-scale adoption of clean, low-emission and efficient cookstoves, heatstoves, and fuels and off-grid lighting can mitigate climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from non-sustainable harvesting of biomass, and by lowering emissions of short-lived climate pollutants such as methane and black carbon. Global adoption of clean and low-emission household energy solutions would also reduce air pollution, loss of habitat and biodiversity, and help slow forest degradation.
While there are several global initiatives to address the use of traditional cookstoves, heatstoves, and open fires, none have a truly integrated “household” approach and focus on reducing short-lived climate pollutant emissions. The Coalition’s work on household energy as a significant contributor to global climate change is an important step in addressing these gaps in climate mitigation efforts and increasing the effectiveness of other clean and low-emission cooking, heating and lighting initiatives.
The Household Energy Initiative aims to play a critical role in:
The initiative focuses on four key components designed to leverage the ongoing research and market mobilization activities of co-leads and other Coalition partners, specifically:
The Initiative engages a broad range of key government representatives, researchers, non-governmental organizations, standard-setting organizations, and other stakeholders to garner input on the Initiative, as well as secure participation in the development and execution of work plans and activities, to ensure:
In this work, the Initiative draws on key stakeholders working to promote the adoption of clean/low-emission cookstoves, heatstoves, and off-grid lighting and related fuels -- including many drawn from the 1700+ partners of the Clean Cooking Alliance’s’ broad global network, the ADB’s Clean Cooking Initiative, World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), Lighting Global and the World Bank’s Africa Clean Cooking Energy Solutions Initiative.
Since 2013, our Household Energy Initiative has funded a range of activities to support the scale up of black carbon mitigation in the household energy sector. These activities have focused on improving measurements and standards, providing guidance to countries for national labelling programs and helping innovative pilot programs to scale up results-based financing. Our key achievements include:
Measurements, standards and labelling
Demonstrating clean fuels and technologies
Advocacy
National action
Lead Partner: A Coalition partner with an active role in coordinating, monitoring and guiding the work of an initiative.
Implementer: A Coalition partner or actor receiving Coalition funds to implement an activity or initiative.
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