Promoting the Use of LPG for Household Cooking in Developing Countries

In countries of the Global South, 2.4 billion people cook with solid fuels, resulting in 3.2 million premature deaths and economic losses of US$2.4 trillion annually. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is considered to be a scalable transition cooking solution until renewable options become market- ready. Counter-intuitively, the transition from solid fuels to LPG, despite being a fossil fuel, could result in a 74-percent reduction in net climate effect. About 30 percent of firewood used globally for household cooking is unsustainably harvested, i.e. CO2 released is not transferred back in woody biomass form, resulting in net CO2 addition to the atmosphere. Other greenhouse gases like methane, and short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon are also co-emitted. Consumers are struggling to purchase LPG during periods of high inflation across the Global South. The G20 can support LPG use in five ways, including through the use of LPG carbon credits, to encourage the shift away from solid fuels.