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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 report evaluates the impact of three health-based behavioral interventions—SMS messaging, graphic imagery, and goal setting—on the purchase of improved cookstoves (ICS), health awareness, and willingness to pay (WTP) among households in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study utilized a randomized evaluation across eight villages, comparing treatment groups against a control group that received only general marketing. While some initial results showed increases in health awareness, these findings lost statistical significance when controlling for village fixed effects and baseline imbalances. The report concludes that high costs and lack of financing remain the primary barriers to ICS adoption, regardless of health awareness levels.