Old habits die hard: using the energy cultures framework to understand drivers of household-level energy transitions in urban Zambia

This research paper examines the determinants of household cooking cultures in urban Lusaka, Zambia, identifying a mismatch between how households and sector experts perceive the drivers of energy transitions.

• Cooking behavior in urban Lusaka is shaped by a combination of normative, material, and practice-related factors, including social expectations regarding food taste, the habit of buying charcoal, and the integration of cooking with other daily chores. This dominant culture is further sustained by national policy regulations, a lack of appealing alternative technologies, and the accessibility of charcoal markets.
• There is a significant discrepancy between households and sector experts regarding what triggers a change in cooking culture. Households view the transition as complex and driven by intertwined 'softer' factors, whereas sector experts focus on 'harder' determinants such as the price and availability of fuel and the cost of alternative options.
• The mismatch in understanding between households and experts suggests that top-down interventions aimed at diversifying cooking behavior should better incorporate the roles of norms, practices, and material culture.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). Old habits die hard: using the energy cultures framework to understand drivers of household-level energy transitions in urban Zambia. https://www.sei.org/publications/old-habits-die-hard-using-the-energy-cultures-framework-to-understand-drivers-of-household-level-energy-transitions-in-urban-zambia/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Old habits die hard: using the energy cultures framework to understand drivers of household-level energy transitions in urban Zambia. 2019. https://www.sei.org/publications/old-habits-die-hard-using-the-energy-cultures-framework-to-understand-drivers-of-household-level-energy-transitions-in-urban-zambia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Old habits die hard: using the energy cultures framework to understand drivers of household-level energy transitions in urban Zambia |date=8 March 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/old-habits-die-hard-using-the-energy-cultures-framework-to-understand-drivers-of-household-level-energy-transitions-in-urban-zambia/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019old, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Old habits die hard: using the energy cultures framework to understand drivers of household-level energy transitions in urban Zambia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/old-habits-die-hard-using-the-energy-cultures-framework-to-understand-drivers-of-household-level-energy-transitions-in-urban-zambia/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }