CEEES - Quantifying emission reductions from cooking fuel transitions in Kenya

Over three billion people globally use smoky, polluting fuels to cook. Having users transition from burning firewood and charcoal to more efficient stoves or modern fuels (e.g., gas or electric) can avoid carbon emissions and protect users' health. To finance this transition, cookstove projects can monetize their customers’ avoided carbon emissions on carbon markets. However, methods for quantifying the emission reductions from cookstove projects have historically not been conservative (e.g., methodologies were likely estimating more carbon was reduced than the best science would suggest). In this project, we are working with EcoSafi, a biomass pellet company in Nairobi, Kenya to (1) quantify the emission reductions from their customers' pellet usage, (2) test and compare a new method for quantifying emissions, and (3) evaluate fuel use over time. We developed an approach to triangulate between year-round kitchen performance tests, continuous stove use monitors (SUMs), universal fuel purchase data, and universal baseline surveys to quantify the emission reductions. We are now implementing this approach and evaluating their customers' fuel use and emission reductions over time. A student would be responsible for evaluating weekly kitchen performance test data, SUM data, fuel purchase data, and new customer baseline survey data. Tasks would include data cleaning/wrangling, calculating fuel consumption, ERs, etc. The student would work with Professor Gill-Wiehl and the team in Nairobi to ensure we are meeting our stratified sampling approach and conducting all methods appropriately. There may be opportunities in the future to work on the ground with the team on implementing these methods over breaks as EcoSafi expands in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.