When you think about dangerous air pollution, the first image that comes to mind may be the smog-laden Delhi or the Beijing skyline. But indoor air pollution caused by people cooking with solid fuels inside their homes is an equally important challenge, responsible for about 4.3 million deaths worldwide each year according to the World Health Organization (WHO) — more than any other environmental cause. This is equivalent to the annual number of malaria and tuberculosis-related deaths combined.

Over 3 billion people around the world rely on solid fuels like wood, dung, and coal for cooking and heating their homes. The vast majority are low-income households in developing countries who historically have had few other affordable and reliable energy options. In India, about two thirds of the population uses these fuels for cooking (Census of India, 2011). In addition to its health consequences for women and young children, cooking with biomass fuels contributes to climate change through the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and black carbon.

Improved cooking stoves are increasingly seen as an important technology to improve respiratory health and combat climate change in developing countries. There are many different models and they are designed to reduce smoke exposure by directing smoke away from users, using less fuel, and/or putting off fewer harmful emissions. There are examples of improved cooking stove programmes dating back to the 1980s, including in India, but in recent years there has been a big push to increase their distribution and sale worldwide. For example, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves calls for 100 million homes to adopt clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020, and estimates that 28 million have between 2010 and 2014.

Continue reading at the International Growth Centre…

Areas of Focus: Energy Markets
Definition
Energy Markets
Well-functioning markets are essential for providing access to reliable, affordable energy. EPIC research is uncovering the policies, prices and information needed to help energy markets work efficiently.
Fossil Fuels
Definition
Fossil Fuels
Under current policies, fossil fuels will play an important role in the energy system for the foreseeable future. EPIC research is exploring the costs and benefits of these fuels as...
Renewable Energy
Definition
Renewable Energy
Lower technology costs and supportive public policies are driving an increase in renewable energy in markets around the world. EPIC research is assessing the costs, benefits, and efficiency of policies...
Climate Change
Definition
Climate Change
Climate change is an urgent global challenge. EPIC research is helping to assess its impacts, quantify its costs, and identify an efficient set of policies to reduce emissions and adapt...
Climate Science
Definition
Climate Science
EPIC’s interdisciplinary team of researchers is contributing to a cross-cutting body of knowledge on the scientific causes of climate change and its social consequences.
Environment
Definition
Environment
Producing and using energy damages people’s health and the environment. EPIC research is quantifying the social costs of energy choices and uncovering policies that help protect health while facilitating growth.
Air Pollution
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...
Definition
Definition
Air Pollution
Definition
Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. EPIC research is using real-world data to calculate the effects of air pollution on human health...
Definition
Renewable Energy
Definition
Renewable Energy
Lower technology costs and supportive public policies are driving an increase in renewable energy in markets around the world. EPIC research is assessing the costs, benefits, and efficiency of policies...
Fossil Fuels
Definition
Fossil Fuels
Under current policies, fossil fuels will play an important role in the energy system for the foreseeable future. EPIC research is exploring the costs and benefits of these fuels as...