Some 4 billion people still cook with traditional polluting fuels and technologies. The adverse development impacts from households continued use of polluting stove-and-fuel combinations are significant. Transitioning this population to modern cooking services (MECS) - part of United Nation (UN) sustainable development goal 7 - remains a significant challenge. This report presents the findings of a systematic review of published evidence on demand- and supply-side drivers of and barriers to transitioning populations to MECS. The barriers and drivers identified include, but are not limited to, education levels and wealth status
peer influence and trust in stove information source
competition with existing fuels and technologies
and program design features, including technology, training, and after sales support. The report provides key recommendations for overcoming the challenges that inhibit large-scale transition to MECS: (i) better focused programs that consider the socioeconomic realities of the target groups, such as financial mechanisms that address affordability constraints
(ii) incorporating measures that concurrently tackle existing stove technologies and current fuel use practices that programs aim to displace
and (iii) address awareness creation as a separate MECS intervention, with public sector investments on this component.