Global Disparities in Clean Cooking Fuel Adoption: Barriers, Opportunities, and Policy Pathways

Abstract

Access to clean cooking fuel is a critical component of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and is intrinsically linked to global health and climate action (SDG 13). Despite its importance, significant disparities in Clean Cooking Fuel adoption persist worldwide. This study presents a quantitative and comparative analysis of global, regional, and national inequalities using a comprehensive longitudinal panel dataset spanning 2000 to 2022. Drawing on data from authoritative sources, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), the World Bank, and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the paper contrasts adoption patterns across geographic regions and national income levels. The methodology employs descriptive trend analysis to illustrate adoption trajectories and paired t-tests to statistically validate the observed access gap against the global mean. The findings reveal a profound and persistent divide: high-income countries in Europe and North America have achieved nearly universal mean access (≈100%), while regions such as South Asia (e.g., Bangladesh, 15.24%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., Somalia, 3.49%) lag significantly behind from the year 2000 to 2022. Alarmingly, some low-income nations are experiencing declining adoption trends, posing a significant challenge to future progress. Formidable barriers, including high upfront costs of clean technologies, lack of infrastructure, and inconsistent policy frameworks, underpin these disparities. To bridge this gap, the study proposes actionable policy pathways implementing targeted financial incentives (such as subsidies and microloans) to lower upfront costs; expanding rural energy infrastructure leveraging carbon financing mechanisms; and adopting gender-inclusive strategies to accelerate a just energy transition.