Leveraging carbon finance to enhance the adoption and usage of solar-based induction cooking solutions for rural India

Household air pollution is a concerning global issue as a significant number of people in rural areas still follow inefficient cooking practices that produce hazardous smoke and pose serious challenges to human health and the environment. Approximately one-third of the global population or 2.4 billion people worldwide still don’t have access to clean cooking.

The use of inefficient, polluting biomass fuels is a health risk and a major contributor to occupational lung diseases and even deaths, particularly among women and children in low and middle-income countries. Replacing these inefficient cookstoves with clean cooking solutions is crucial to reducing harmful emissions, empowering countless women, saving lives and ensuring a sustainable future.

A Global Threat to Human Health and Environment

Inefficient cooking practices produce toxic pollutants in the environment and endanger the well-being of a large number of people across the globe. The traditional biomass cookstoves emit black carbon and other harmful pollutants, which, is also a significant cause of deforestation and enhancing anthropogenic climate change. Women, particularly in rural areas, are severely impacted due to the adverse impact of these inefficient cookstoves. In addition, the time and effort that goes into collecting biomass fuels increase the risk of musculoskeletal damage as well as interfere with their ability to contribute to economically productive activities.

The Solar Induction Cook Stove [SICS], with abundant solar energy availability, can completely replace firewood usage while ensuring the restoration of nature and support in biodiversity conservation.

SICSs are not only environmentally safer but also offer numerous social and economic benefits such as substantial reduction in firewood consumption, good health & well-being, savings in time invested in cooking and money invested in buying fuel, improvement of indoor air quality, enhance economically productive time for women, etc.

It is important to note that clean cooking also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN. In fact, it has a dedicated indicator under SDG7 – “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”. In addition, controlling the health impacts of household air pollution is explicitly included as part of Goal 3, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. More broadly, it directly contributes to achieving 10 out of the 17 SDGs.

Carbon Finance for Large Scale Distribution of Efficient Cooking Solutions The issue of efficient clean cooking solutions is gaining global attention considering its environmental and social impact. Government action is in full swing in countries where the problem exists including India. Recently, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL),

JV of PSUs under the Ministry of Power, released an Expression of Interest for a proposal on solar-based induction cooking solutions for Indian cooking applications through carbon financing. It is a welcoming move by the government to leapfrog the latest solar technology in empowering rural kitchens, community upliftment, betterment of society and a sustainable future.

Replacement of traditional cookstoves with SICS solutions also enables the generation of carbon credits as each cookstove helps mitigate carbon emissions while also reducing the consumption of non-renewable firewood and avoiding deforestation. This carbon finance can be used to scale the distribution and usage of SICS, empowering the clean cooking initiative. Government, through its recent move, intends to initiate large scale market-based interventions for clean cooking solutions by leveraging carbon finance for a financially and environmentally sustainable model.

An Effective Alternative for a Better Future

The link between poverty, household air pollution, adverse health conditions and climate change is undeniable. However, with careful consideration and usage of improved clean cooking through SICS, we can create a better future for rural homes across the globe while protecting the environment and ensuring a sustainable future. Without substantial policy implementation and government intervention, it is almost impossible to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The government’s recent move looks promising and gives hope for positive environmental and social action.