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FUEL STACKING Various social and cultural factors can determine the rate of transition to clean cooking, leading it to take place incrementally over an extended period. Re- search shows that clean cooking is often seen by households (at least initial- ly) as an addition to traditional cooking methods rather than a replacement. Extensive survey evidence shows that improved cookstoves and clean cook- ing options are often used in combination with solid fuels, a practice known as fuel stacking (see Box 2). It is a phenomenon that reflects the durability of es- tablished cooking practices and preferences as well as challenges around the affordability of cleaner fuels. The extent of fuel stacking is not well captured in the statistics, which are based on each household’s primary cooking fuel (see Box 3). This can lead policy-makers to overestimate both the extent of the transition to clean cooking and its long-term sustainability. This has raised doubts among some investors, particularly those fo- cused on health outcomes. Many of the intended health benefits of clean cooking initiatives are contingent on the near-complete replacement of traditional fuels and the reduction of household air pollution to very low levels. That said, many argue that a shift towards cleaner cooking, involving a fuel stack that includes some clean or cleaner stoves and fuels, is nonetheless progress and a necessary step in the eventual full transition to clean cooking.
Most household demographic and energy surveys have historically asked respondents about the pri- mary fuel used for cooking. However, this gives a limited view of the full fuel profile and cooking be- haviors of a household, given the widely document- ed practice of fuel stacking – that is, using a mix of fuels and stoves. Various initiatives are underway to generate better data on uptake. In 2015, the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Pro- gram (ESMAP) launched its multi-tier framework, which “collects and analyses data on multiple di- mensions of access such as user behavior, cooking conditions, the use of multiple cooking solutions, convenience, and safety aspects to account for the multiplicity of contextual and technical factors that shape a household’s unique cooking context.” 48 The recognition of a more nuanced picture that goes beyond the “clean vs non-clean” dichotomy has been welcomed by many, allowing for more fine- tuned clean cooking policies. BOX 2: MEASURING CLEAN COOKING ACCESS AND FUEL STACKING
48 ESMAP (2023) Unlocking Clean Cooking Pathways : A Practitioner’s Keys to Progress, World Bank Group: Washington, D.C, https://www.esmap.org/Unlocking-Clean-Cooking-Pathways
AN OPEC FUND KNOWLEDGE SERIES REPORT 2024
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