Liquefied petroleum gas as a clean cooking fuel for developing countries: implications for climate, forests, and affordability

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a mature technology already used by almost 3 billion people globally with the potential to change the landscape of household energy in the developing world, by providing substantial and linked benefits for health, climate, forest protection and development. It can play an important role in permitting those households currently exposed to high concentrations of household air pollution to benefit from reliable and efficient clean household energy – benefits that about 60% of the world’s population are already enjoying on a daily basis.

While well-planned financial and fiscal instruments may be needed to assist transition among poorer and more rural populations, building a sound infrastructure for those who can currently benefit can also help accelerate adoption within nations.

In order to realise these benefits among all of those who stand to gain from a transition to LPG use, national policy and planning need to address the key challenges of supply, regulation, distribution and affordability for the poor. A number of low and middle  income countries have shown, and are showing, that this is possible at scale, and this experience can serve as an example for other countries seeking to extend access to and use of LPG.