This new World Bank report discusses India’s best improved biomass stove programs and suggests policies and practical ways to promote the use of cleaner burning, energy efficient, and affordable stoves. It includes case studies from six Indian states—Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal—and other stove programs around the globe.

This paper explores the pros and cons of biomass and the logistics of switching to other fuels in developing countries. Calculations
reveal that there is more than sufficient biomass, not only to maintain present consumption,
but also to expand its use considerably. A principal cause of global warming is the increased
use of fossil fuels.