eCooking for sustainable development: experimental evidence from eastern Congo
The researchers conducted a randomised experiment involving households in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Abstract
Can energy-efficient Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) accelerate the transition to clean cooking in developing countries, and address important development and environmental challenges? To answer this question, the authors conducted a randomised experiment involving 1,600 households in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. The results indicated keen local interest in the technology, with 92% of invited households attending the distribution session. The authors estimate that over its 5 year lifespan, the EPC could yield a 300% return for households through savings on cooking fuel. In addition, broader social benefits, including lower CO鈧� emissions and biodiversity conservation, are expected to yield more than an eightfold return.
This paper is part of the Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL) programme.
Citation
Desbureaux S and others. 鈥榚Cooking for sustainable development: experimental evidence from eastern Congo鈥� PEDL Research Note 2025