Kerosene in India is primarily available as a subsidized commodity for household use, and was added to the basket of Public Distribution System (PDS) commodities during the 2nd Five Year Plan (FYP). Kerosene has been continued as a subsidised fuel to provide affordable cooking and illumination (lighting) to households for the last 60 years.

India has the largest concentration of population using biomass with inefficient stoves. About 840 million in India fully or partially rely on traditional biomass for cooking. In India, cooking is mainly carried out by women, and they play an important role in managing domestic energy needs.

This study assesses and compares the benefits of electricity service to households and small enterprises from microgrids, solar home systems (SHS), and the national grid in select rural communities in India and Nepal.

Household air pollution is the single most important environmental health risk worldwide, and women and children are at particularly high risk from exposure. This global report provides new data on the still-pervasive use of polluting fuels for home cooking, lighting and heating, as well as an in-depth look at the impacts on women and children.

A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) says despite more than a decade of work to reduce domestic air pollution sources, progress toward universal access to clean cooking fuels remains far too slow.

This working paper explores how doing energy planning at the county level could better engage citizens in decision-making, and thus help ensure that end-user needs are well understood and addressed.

This briefing note synthesizes the latest evidence on the impacts of traditional biomass cooking and discusses options for addressing these challenges, with recommendations for policy-makers in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa.