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 COâ‚‚ 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. ‘eCooking for sustainable development: experimental evidence from eastern Congo’ PEDL Research Note 2025