Cleaner stoves bring safe cooking to African households
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In Nairobi, Kenya, Mary Kavutha recently switched from a charcoal stove to an induction cooker, allowing her to cook indoors safely and save money.
For years, Kavutha cooked with charcoal outdoors due to harmful smoke. Now, she uses electricity for faster, safer meals and spends less each day on fuel. Her experience reflects a growing effort to provide clean cooking solutions to nearly 1 billion Africans who still rely on wood and charcoal.
The International Energy Agency estimates household air pollution from these fuels causes 850,000 deaths annually in Africa. Companies like BURN, based in Nairobi, are manufacturing electric and efficient biomass cookstoves and distributing over 7.3 million stoves across 11 African countries. They are using a financing model based on carbon credits, companies receive payment for reducing emissions by helping households switch from polluting fuels.
This system allows them to lower the upfront cost of stoves, with some biomass stoves retailing for as little as 5 US dollars after subsidies. While carbon finance has faced criticism, companies are implementing stricter monitoring and verification to ensure the reliability of emissions savings. The International Energy Agency reported 900 million US dollars in new financial commitments toward clean cooking technologies in June, and more than 30 African governments have introduced related policies since 2015.
However, challenges remain, as demonstrated by the recent closure of Kenyan firm Koko Networks after losing access to carbon credit sales.
