From Theory to Practice of Change: Lessons from SNV’s Improved Cookstoves and Fuel Projects in Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal and Rwanda

The report evaluates SNV's interventions in four countries, finding that a systemic approach combining user understanding, market linkages, and enabling environments is key to scaling clean cooking solutions. It proposes a revised theory of change emphasizing a trajectory from lower-tier to advanced technologies to achieve health and climate goals.

• SNV's cookstove programmes are characterised by three core features: an emphasis on knowledge co-creation, a commitment to trust-building, and the freedom to adapt to local contexts.
• In Cambodia and Kenya, SNV focused on advanced biomass gasifier stoves to fill a market gap, as lower-tier stoves were already well-established by other actors like GERES in Cambodia and GIZ in Kenya.
• In Nepal, SNV implemented a market-led approach using carbon revenues to support the dissemination of rocket stoves, which resulted in 33,000 stoves being installed by July 2013.
• The project in Rwanda focused on the canarumwe stove, exceeding its target by producing and selling 18,000 stoves, although this represented only 1–3% of district targets.
• A systemic approach to market development is central to SNV's strategy, involving the understanding of potential markets, strengthening supply chain linkages, and employing a 'training of trainers' model for local capacity-builders.
• SNV integrates the distribution of cooking equipment with the production of alternative fuels, such as biomass pellets, to create a more sustainable biomass value chain.
• The report argues that substantial health benefits require a trajectory toward very low-emission technologies, as lower-tier improved cookstoves have limited impact on household health.
• The proposed theory of change identifies four interlinked pillars for success: understanding user needs, market linkages and capacity development, testing innovative business/finance models, and supporting the enabling environment.

APA

Johnson, O., Wanjiru, H., Muhoza, C., Lambe, F., Jürisoo, M., Amatayakul, W., & Chenevoy, A. (2015). From Theory to Practice of Change: Lessons from SNV’s Improved Cookstoves and Fuel Projects in Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal and Rwanda. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WP-2015-09-SNV-cookstove-market-transformation.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Oliver, Hannah Wanjiru, Cassilde Muhoza, Fiona Lambe, Marie Jürisoo, Wathanyu Amatayakul, and Audrey Chenevoy. From Theory to Practice of Change: Lessons from SNV’s Improved Cookstoves and Fuel Projects in Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal and Rwanda. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2015. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WP-2015-09-SNV-cookstove-market-transformation.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2015from, author = {Johnson, Oliver and Wanjiru, Hannah and Muhoza, Cassilde and Lambe, Fiona and Jürisoo, Marie and Amatayakul, Wathanyu and Chenevoy, Audrey}, title = {{From Theory to Practice of Change: Lessons from SNV’s Improved Cookstoves and Fuel Projects in Cambodia, Kenya, Nepal and Rwanda}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-WP-2015-09-SNV-cookstove-market-transformation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }