Tackling Ambient Air pollution through Electric Cooking
We are delighted to invite you to the 11th session of the Talk Series – Phase III on “Tackling Ambient Air Pollution through Electric Cooking”. The session would be conducted in virtual mode and is being organized by the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MCES) Programme, through its In-country partner – India, Finovista with the aims to discuss its different dimensions, identify the barriers, and explore avenues to address the specific challenges in the transition to clean cooking.
Every year with the winter setting in, the skyline on the northern India plains turns grey and a thick layer of smog envelops the horizon. This choking smog, which is the result of an alarming rise in air pollution levels across India, sets the alarm bell ringing across authorities responsible for maintaining air quality within the guidelines set by WHO. While geographical features and meteorological conditions may contribute to a slight build-up of air pollution levels in some specific periods of the year, it is established that most of the air pollutants come from combustion sources. Rapid socio-economic growth has triggered unregulated urbanisation over the last three decades, leading to an increase in anthropogenic pollutants including PM2.5, Black Carbon, Sulphate, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), and surface ozone, causing poor air quality in Indian cities. However, one of the major contributors to the pollution crisis, emissions from cooking, mostly do not receive the attention they should.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that currently about 90% of people living in cities are exposed to PM2.5 levels above the WHO guideline value of 10µgm-³, and globally, between 3 and 9 million premature deaths annually have been attributed to exposure to ambient air pollution. Indian cities have been consistently ranked among the most polluted globally by the WHO. According to Bloomberg, 16.7 lakh (1,670,000) people died due to polluted air in India in 2019. Hospitals also report a 30-40% increase in respiratory cases during periods of high pollution, including surges in asthma attacks, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections.
While India has made significant progress in replacing solid fuels for cooking—such as firewood, dung cakes, coal, and agricultural residue—with clean fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) launched in May 2016, the sustained use of LPG remains a challenge for consumers due to high initial costs, delivery difficulties, fuel stacking, and cultural preferences. Studies estimate that 41% of Indian households still primarily rely on solid fuels for cooking.
Although comprehensive Source Apportionment (SA) studies tracking air pollution sources in Indian cities are limited, existing research highlights the substantial impact of polluting fuels used for cooking. Toxic pollution from household fuel combustion accounts for 22% to 52% of ambient PM2.5 levels in India, with the median estimate being about 30%. In 2016, India’s use of solid cooking fuels was estimated to have contributed at least 340 MT of CO2 equivalent emissions, representing 13% of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Responding to this issue, the Indian government has initiated several measures, including the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which provides cities with a framework for air quality management plans and cross-sector policy guidance. Building on these efforts, the World Bank is supporting India through a phased strategy focused on enhancing knowledge, building capacity, and promoting stakeholder involvement, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, where population density and pollution intensity are highest. In India, where much of PM2.5 pollution originates from sources outside urban areas, airshed-wide coordination is essential, as city-specific plans alone cannot achieve substantial pollution reductions.
Recent studies have identified household emissions as the largest contributor to ambient PM2.5 pollution in India, surpassing other sources such as vehicles, power plants, and industries. For example, one study revealed that biomass used for cooking contributes up to 29% of ambient pollution in Uttar Pradesh. Thus, reducing household fuel use will have significant population-wide benefits by lowering ambient air pollution. A national strategy should focus on promoting electric cooking (eCooking) and ensuring reliable access to electricity, with incentives to replace solid fuels for cooking. A dedicated plan to support local manufacturing of energy-efficient electric cooking devices is also needed to drive the transition.
This transition presents opportunities for business growth, benefiting DISCOMs, manufacturers, and skilled professionals. Collaboration among key government bodies, including the Ministry of Power, MNRE, MoEF&CC, BEE, EESL, and organizations like MECS and the Skills Council for Green Jobs, will be essential in accelerating the shift to clean cooking technologies.