Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief describes a small-scale study in peri-urban areas outside Nairobi, Kenya, examining the use of advanced biomass pellet cookstoves. It advocates for a service design-driven approach combining behavioral insights and social-ecological systems thinking to better align stove development with user needs and archetypes.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) details a case study in Kiambu County, Kenya, exploring the behavioural drivers affecting the adoption of advanced biomass pellet cookstoves (specifically the Philips model). Using a service design methodology, the research identifies that while trust in local microfinance partners like the Visionary Empowerment Programme (VEP) facilitates initial acquisition, long-term adoption is hindered by a lack of user-centric value propositions, poor fuel supply chains for pellets, and a failure to address the diverse cooking needs of households, leading to 'stove stacking' rather than full transition.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute uses service design methodology to analyze the 'user journeys' of households adopting advanced cookstoves in Kenya and Zambia. The study identifies a gap between the motivations that drive the initial purchase of a stove and the factors that ensure long-term adoption and consistent use.