Fuel Choice in South Africa
Understanding how income changes drive energy decision-making
This project uses data on changes to income during the unique South African Pension Program to understand fuel consumption patterns in poor households. It assesses whether policies that address poverty are appropriate for driving better outcomes in energy transitions.
Households in developing countries rely primarily on fuels such as firewood, charcoal, animal dung, and agricultural residues to meet their energy needs. Dependence on these fuels have negative economic, environmental, gender, and health outcomes that can keep households trapped in a cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, the connection between income and fuel choice is difficult to pin down. looking at data from the South Africa pension program, this project examines the impact of changes in household income based on cooking fuel choices. This is a collaboration between Duke University and EfD.
Duke Staff/Faculty: Marc Jeuland
Non-Duke Staff/Faculty: Dambala Gelo, Abebe Damte Beyene