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The report examines the 'customer journey' of households in Kiambu County, Kenya, adopting Philips advanced cookstoves distributed via the Visionary Empowerment Programme (VEP). It identifies that while trust in local microfinance partners drives initial sign-ups, actual adoption is hindered by a lack of user-centric value propositions, poor fuel supply chains for pellets, and a 'start-up phase' where users struggle with new routines. The study concludes that users often 'stack' stoves, using the advanced model only for specific tasks, and that a holistic approach considering the end-user's definition of 'improved' is essential for achieving health and climate goals.

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.

The study identifies that while Kibera households are acutely aware of the health risks associated with charcoal and kerosene, several behavioural and structural barriers prevent the adoption of cleaner alternatives. Key findings highlight a lack of awareness regarding high-efficiency stoves, price misperceptions due to daily fuel purchasing habits, and the significant role of aspirational thinking and personality traits like risk-taking in technology uptake. The researchers also demonstrate that 'cultural probes' (disposable cameras) are effective tools for eliciting sensitive socio-cultural data in slum environments.

The document examines the use of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many models meet WHO emission targets in labs, they often fail to significantly reduce personal pollutant exposure in the field due to 'stove stacking' and improper use. It identifies the 'plancha' as the most common model and highlights that successful adoption depends on user-centered design, training, and cost-sharing. The report calls for standardized performance measures and national certification bodies to ensure health benefits are actually realized.

The document examines the paradox of resource-led growth in sub-Saharan Africa, where windfall revenues from minerals and hydrocarbons often correlate with declining governance and institutional quality. It highlights the negative externalities of extraction and the role of foreign investment in shaping 'elite bargains' between political and business leaders. The author argues that for resource wealth to foster sustainable development, research must focus on reducing commodity concentration, improving institutional accountability, and balancing the trade-offs between extractive growth and climate change mitigation.

The document defines energy poverty as a lack of sufficient alternatives to access adequate, affordable, and sustainable energy services, which hinders economic and human development. It highlights that 1.3 billion people lack electricity and 2.7 billion rely on biomass, leading to severe health issues. The author argues that energy poverty is both a cause and consequence of general poverty, creating a 'poverty trap' that requires specific policy interventions beyond general economic growth. The briefing notes that universal energy access by 2030 is financially feasible, requiring an annual investment of 30 to 35 billion dollars, which is significantly less than global fossil fuel subsidies.

The document defines energy poverty as the lack of access to adequate, affordable, and sustainable energy services, highlighting its severe impacts on health, economic productivity, and the environment. It notes that 1.3 billion people lack electricity and 2.7 billion rely on biomass for cooking, with the highest concentrations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The author argues that while energy consumption is a necessary condition for development, universal access could be achieved by 2030 with an annual investment of 30-35 billion USD, a sum significantly lower than current global fossil fuel subsidies.

The document frames climate change as a mainstream public health crisis and advocates for a transition to clean energy and active transport to reduce early deaths and healthcare costs. It highlights the importance of health-aligned investment choices, citing the British Medical Association's divestment from fossil fuels and HESTA's restrictions on thermal coal. The guide also lists several high-level events in New York, including a WHO-ILO session on 'Climate, Health and Jobs' and a forum on sustainable diets.

The report examines how the removal of fossil-fuel subsidies for LPG, kerosene, diesel, and electricity affects men and women differently in India. It finds that current subsidies largely fail rural women, who rely heavily on biomass, and that shifting to cash transfers via bank accounts creates barriers for women due to lower financial inclusion. The author argues for gender-responsive budgeting and targeted interventions to prevent women from reverting to dirtier fuels while promoting their empowerment.

Firewood is the primary energy source for cooking and heating for most rural Kenyan households and various bulk users, including schools and tea factories. The sector faces significant challenges, including a growing supply-demand deficit, gender inequality regarding collection burdens, and health risks from indoor air pollution. The document argues that firewood should be formally addressed in energy policy through a multi-sectoral approach involving county governments, agroforestry, and the development of efficient cookstoves to reduce environmental pressure and social burdens.

The statement by Kandeh K. Yumkella highlights the critical link between energy poverty and the socio-economic wellbeing of women and children. It emphasizes that lack of electricity in healthcare settings contributes to high maternal mortality and that household air pollution from biomass and kerosene causes millions of premature deaths. The author advocates for universal access to modern energy, clean cooking solutions, and mechanical power to liberate women from domestic drudgery and enable their economic empowerment.

The document examines the potential for low-carbon technologies to address energy poverty in Africa, highlighting that while grid expansion is suitable for urban areas and some rural zones, off-grid and mini-grid renewables are increasingly viable for remote regions. It identifies significant barriers to adoption, including high upfront capital costs, lack of local technical capacity, and the political influence of fossil fuel reserves. Using Morocco's rural electrification programme as a success story, the briefing argues that low-carbon options must be integrated into broader development objectives—such as job creation for youth, health improvements from reduced air pollution, and national energy self-sufficiency—to become politically and economically competitive.

The SEI Initiative on Behaviour and Choice focuses on understanding why technical solutions in developing countries often fail due to a lack of user adoption. By collaborating with experts in behavioural economics and design research, the initiative seeks to create a framework that accounts for individual, relational, and structural drivers of behaviour. Initial empirical work focuses on the adoption of advanced biomass-pellet cookstoves in Kenya, specifically in Kiambu and Nakuru, to address high mortality rates from household air pollution. The initiative intends to produce a set of tools to help public and private sector actors design policies and products that better respond to user perspectives.

The SEforALL Global Tracking Framework asserts that current efforts are insufficient to meet sustainable energy goals. It identifies 20 high-impact countries in Asia and Africa as critical for expanding electricity and clean cooking access, and another 20 countries as essential for doubling the global share of renewables and energy efficiency. To meet 2030 targets, the report argues that annual energy investments must increase by at least $600 billion, focusing on energy efficiency, renewables, and access expansion.

The study examines the use of the traditional mbaula charcoal stove in Lusaka, Zambia, finding that while users are emotionally attached to the stove, they face significant financial burdens and health issues due to its inefficiency and fumes. The research highlights that cost is the primary driver of energy choices, and that poor households pay more for fuel due to cash-flow constraints. It proposes three main pathways for transformation: introducing locally-made, more efficient charcoal stoves that resemble the mbaula, promoting low-tech solar water heating, and restructuring electricity tariffs to make electric cooking affordable for the poor.

The document argues that addressing the energy gap for the 'bottom of the pyramid' (BOP) requires a comprehensive approach to the innovation cycle, moving beyond simple technology development to include user-centric design, strategic deployment models, and the building of local institutional capabilities. It highlights that nearly 1.3 billion people lack electricity and 2.6 billion lack clean cooking energy, with significant health and climate costs associated with traditional biomass use. The author recommends leveraging diverse funding sources—including climate and health funds—and coordinating international initiatives to scale up sustainable energy solutions.

The study uses a qualitative generative research methodology in four villages of Haryana State to understand why traditional biomass stoves (chulhas) persist despite health and environmental risks. Findings reveal that users value the ability to regulate heat by combining fuelwood and cow dung, the specific taste of food cooked with biomass, and the low cost of self-made clay stoves. While users desire reduced smoke and fuel savings, advanced stoves approved by the National Biomass Cookstove Initiative (NBCI) often fail to meet practical needs, such as the ability to bake roti or use dung. The authors argue that technical efficiency standards must be balanced with real-world usability to ensure the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies.

The briefing highlights the failure of many clean cookstove programmes to achieve long-term uptake because they prioritise technical parameters over user needs. Using research from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, and India, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) advocates for combining quantitative economic models with qualitative ethnographic research to understand the trade-offs and cultural preferences of households. A case study in Haryana, India, demonstrates that factors such as the ability to use dung cakes, the need for an open flame for roti, and aesthetic appeal are critical to user acceptance. The document recommends that global policies and standards for cookstoves incorporate 'usability' parameters and local user-focused research to successfully transform household energy markets.

The report employs a Household Energy Economic Analysis (HHEA) model based on discrete choice analysis and stated preference surveys to understand why clean cooking technologies often fail to penetrate Sub-Saharan African markets. By surveying households in Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, and Maputo, the study argues that product-specific attributes—such as stove price, usage cost, safety, and smoke levels—are as critical as socio-economic factors in determining consumer choice. The findings reveal that low-income households are significantly more sensitive to upfront stove prices than usage costs, while higher-income groups show a greater willingness to pay for reduced smoke and increased safety. The report concludes that for bio-ethanol stoves to be viable, particularly for the poor, policies must address both the initial purchase price through subsidies or microfinance and the ongoing fuel costs.

The document highlights that 2.5 billion people lack modern energy services, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It argues that energy access is a prerequisite for economic development and climate adaptive capacity. The authors advocate for a shift toward decentralized energy systems—including both renewables and LPG—to reduce the health and environmental burdens of traditional biomass, while emphasizing that energy access should be integrated into climate financing and development goals to avoid compromising poverty reduction in the pursuit of climate mitigation.