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CLEAN COOKING AND THE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA Clean cooking became part of the international development agenda during the 1980s and 1990s through initiatives piloting the introduction of improved cook- stoves to address concerns about fuel scarcity and help to reduce deforestation and indoor air pollution. These improved stoves burned biomass (firewood or charcoal) more efficiently than the traditional units they replaced, which it was hoped would reduce pressure on the environment. 28 Over time, as evidence grew on the health risks of household air pollution, there was increased interest in using clean cooking innovations to drive improvements in health, especially for women and children. The World Health Organization (WHO) led the way by promoting global monitoring and reporting of air pollution and its health impacts and by defining emission standards for clean cooking appliances. The focus on health drove an interest in the cleanest solutions, especially LPG and electrification, in view of doubts that improved cookstoves could deliver enough emission reductions for meaningful health impacts.
FIGURE 3: Clean cooking and the SDGs
Universal Clean Cooking Access
28 World Bank (2011) Household cookstoves, environment, health, and climate change: a new look at an old problem, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/732691468177236006/ pdf/632170WP0House00Box0361508B0PUBLIC0.pdf
AN OPEC FUND KNOWLEDGE SERIES REPORT 2024
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