Researching charcoal use

The Stockholm Environment Institute is cooperating with the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Energy and Water Development in Zambia in order to determine the long-term viability of the charcoal utilization system in the country. Several areas have been studied, including the natural production of forest biomass through charcoal conversion and transportation, environmental impacts, living conditions of charcoal workers, different aspects of end-use of charcoal and alternative to charcoal use for low-income households, particularly over concern for carbon monoxide emissions in traditional stoves.

In 1995 in Nairobi, most households used more than one fuel type for cooking: only 14 percent used electricity, 25 percent used gas cylinders, 61 percent used kerosene and 83 percent used charcoal.