Calyx Global is now rating “fuel-switch” cookstove projects, after developing a new “project assessment framework” for this type of cookstove. 

Fuel-switch cookstove activities are distinct from improved cookstoves (ICS) as they involve changing a household’s current cooking fuel to a less greenhouse gas intensive fuel (e.g. from non-renewable firewood to liquified petroleum gas - LPG). ICS projects focus on reducing fuel consumption, usually solid biomass fuel.

In addition, fuel-switching cookstove projects usually deploy stoves that fall within the ‘clean’ cooking category from the World Health Organization (WHO), due to their ability to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide emissions to levels under the WHO’s definitions of ‘clean’. Although, just as in ICS projects, emission reductions from fuel-switch cookstove activities result from avoiding or reducing the use of non-renewable biomass fuel (firewood and charcoal) for cooking.