In Guatemala, dependence on firewood for cooking remains a major challenge for public health, household economic well-being and environmental sustainability. The objective of the consultancy was to support the World Bank in formulating recommendations on the most suitable clean and efficient cooking solutions and their benefits for the country, particularly in departments with low electricity coverage.
Eneris led the assessment of the policy and regulatory framework and analysed demand and supply dynamics for clean cooking solutions, considering economic, sociocultural and technical trends. Ongoing initiatives, such as electric cooking pilots and the Inter-American Development Bank’s support to a large clean cooking programme registered as a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action, demonstrated strong potential for sector development, provided that access to credit improves and higher-quality stoves become more widely available.
Based on rapid market segmentation and a clean cooking scenario analysis, Eneris co-developed an actionable National Clean Cooking Programme to be led by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and implemented progressively over a ten-year horizon. The proposed transition pathway combines improved biomass stoves, LPG and electric cooking. Given its capacity to manage large-scale social programmes and temporary LPG subsidies, the Government of Guatemala was assessed as able to partially finance the clean cooking programme through its public budget, complemented by international financing. The programme also recommended revising fiscal measures and quality standards, and proposed financing mechanisms—such as partial stove subsidies, fuel subsidies and vouchers—adapted to different contexts and consumer segments.
The work provided an evidence base for Guatemala’s implementation strategy towards universal access to modern cooking energy services.
