Roughly one-third of the world’s population lacks access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. Cooking with biomass – such as wood and charcoal – causes over 3 million premature deaths each year through household air pollution (HAP), contributes 1–2% of climate-forcing emissions each year and is also associated with localized environmental damage and gender inequities.

The study finds that full transitions to LPG or electricity would cut cumulative emissions of greenhouse gases by 10–14%, or 2.6–3.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), by 2040, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of 500–900 million cars. Such changes would also slash emissions of health-damaging pollutants like particulate matter by over 99% and carbon monoxide by over 95%, reducing the risk of illness and premature death linked to exposure to HAP. These findings were published today in an article in Environmental Research Letters.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines clean household fuels and technologies based on users’ exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO). WHO’s 2021 Guidelines Defining clean fuels and technologies provide PM2.5 and CO emission rate targets.

A full transition to renewable electricity would offer the greatest health and climate benefits; however, this is not a realistic near-term option. This study focused on LPG because it is the most likely realistic clean cooking option for many LMICs. Indeed, according to the WHO, over one billion people in LMICs adopted LPG between 2010 and 2020. LPG is well-suited to rapid scale-up and many LMIC governments have set ambitious targets promoting its adoption. Some are also developing longer-term electrification plans, but it is unclear if these plans will affect people’s cooking options in the foreseeable future.