Just Transitions to Clean Energy in Household Cooking: Bottom-Up Creation of Pathways for Low-Income Urban Settlements in Odisha

Background: This study aimed to develop just transition pathways to clean energy in cooking for low-income settlements in Odisha. Methods: A mixed-methods research design was employed, including primary and secondary research. The primary research—a quantitative survey of 5,368 urban-poor households in Odisha and co-creation of pathways with the citizens and stakeholders—aimed to provide a bottom-up perspective of current fuel-appliance-choice behaviour and acceptable contours of transition. The secondary research aimed to ensure that pathways were positioned well within the wider ecosystem. Results: The work reveals a strong community desire to adopt cleaner cooking technologies, rooted in options that allow for self-reliance. Citizens’ aspirations were not centred on cooking more but instead on the quality of the cooking experience. Preferences for clean energy transitions were community biogas and Solar Nutan technologies, and pathways for adoption are laid out for these, as well as for electric induction and liquified petroleum gas. The pathways lay out contours on finance, supply, suitability, and knowledge. In doing so, they identify action areas and opportunities for government (especially city government) and supply side stakeholders to make the cleaner technologies a reality. Conclusion: The study emphasizes that a just transition to cleaner cooking technologies must consider the socio-economic realities of low-income communities. It highlights the importance of a multi-stakeholder effort, involving governments, innovators, supply chains, and communities, to co-create solutions. Local governments play a crucial role in bridging community needs with higher layers of governance and broader ecosystems, facilitating just and equitable clean energy transitions.