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It is widely acknowledged that a dramatic scaling up of investment is needed in order to achieve universal access to clean cooking. However, no single or- ganization can make this happen. It requires concerted efforts by governments, international development partners, clean cooking firms, financial institutions, consumer groups and research and development organizations. Moreover, com- pared to most development investment, clean cooking has been increasingly market-based – market-led solutions are seen as more scalable and sustainable. Yet market-based solutions continue to encounter significant affordability barri- ers and have struggled to reach the poorest households. It is therefore important to recognize that governments play an essential part in creating the conditions for market growth – increasingly as regulators rather than suppliers. This section sets out some of the key actions that are needed from different stakeholders. GOVERNMENTS Governments play an indispensable role in scaling up clean cooking solutions and achieving universal access. Each country should determine its own priorities and preferences in the transition to clean cooking, based on its own unique circum- stances. Past experience suggests that political leadership at high levels is needed in order to drive the process, ensure coordination among all stakeholders, mobilize donor funding and ensure the sustainability of interventions. National governments are also central in creating the conditions for private investment at scale and work with campaigners and consumer groups to demonstrate to the public the benefits of clean cooking. Data and Analysis: The factors holding back full access to clean cooking are highly contextual. 97 They also vary significantly within countries, affected by issues such as geography, market conditions and household (behavioral) characteristics. De- veloping national clean cooking policies and strategies calls for targeted data re- search and data collection, including learning from pilot programs. Governments can also play a key role in generating information on supply and demand to help inform private investment decisions. 98 For example, the government of Nigeria has developed an online data visualization that enables private firms to estimate the demand for clean cooking across different geographical areas.
97 Bharadwaj, B (2022) Context matters: Unpacking decision-making, external influences and spatial factors on clean cooking transitions in Nepal, Energy Research & Social Science, https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/abs/pii/S2214629621004953 98 Shupler, M., et al., (2021) Modelling of supply and demand-side determinants of liquefied petroleum gas consumption in peri-urban Cameroon, Ghana and Kenya, Nature Energy, 6, https://www.nature.com/articles/ s41560-021-00933-3
4. OPTIONS FOR SCALING UP CLEAN COOKING
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