Rwanda’s continued reliance on wood and charcoal for cooking contributes to health problems, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Despite government and private-sector initiatives, progress remains below national targets.
This report proposes a National Integrated Clean Cooking Planning (NICCP) approach, using interactive tools to assess the technical, economic and financial implications of different policy choices. It compares two plans:
Aligne, reflecting current national ambitions, projects clean cooking technologies covering 74% of cooking demand by 2029 and 86% by 2034, with funding requirements of USD 519 million and USD 967 million, respectively.
CleanStep, prioritising faster adoption followed by financial recovery, projects coverage of 85% by 2029 and 83% by 2034, requiring USD 611 million and USD 874 million, respectively.
CleanStep delivers stronger early adoption and greater emissions and deforestation benefits, while Aligned achieves higher coverage by 2034 and better health outcomes.
The analysis shows that infrastructure and technology availability alone cannot ensure sustained adoption, particularly where rural households face affordability constraints. Coordinated subsidies for appliances and fuels, alongside support for private suppliers, are essential. Carbon finance could provide additional support.
Successful implementation requires clear institutional responsibilities, coordinated planning, awareness campaigns and local capacity across the production, distribution, use and maintenance of clean cooking technologies.
