It is conventional wisdom that it is possible to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, improve health outcomes, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the rural areas of developing countries through the adoption of improved cooking stoves.

Globally, 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity and an estimated 2.7 billion rely on traditional biomass – wood, charcoal, animal waste and agricultural residues – for cooking and space heating. Roughly one third of this population lives in rural India.

Rapid urban growth in developing countries has created an unprecedented demand for energy services. Cities face the enormous challenge of improving energy access to urban communities in order to improve education, health and basic socioeconomic conditions.

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.