‘OnStove’ is a fundamental building block for a wide range of applications across government, industry, and academia. Several examples include:
OnStove has supported clean cooking transition plans in Nepal and Kenya as part of collaborations with the Clean Cooking Alliance, the World Resources Institute, the Kenyan Energy Ministry, and Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC).
OnStove has been used by international organizations to inform clean cooking access strategies:
For a broader analysis of applications and advancements in OSeMOSYS, see the following peer-reviewed publications:
Nature Sustainability
Universal clean cooking is a key target under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, with implications for several other SDGs such as good health, gender equality, and climate. Yet, 2.4 billion people globally still lack access to clean cooking, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where only 17% use clean options. This paper develops OnStove, an open-source spatial tool comparing the relative potential of different cookstoves based on their costs and benefits, and applies it to SSA. Results show a severe market failure as traditional biomass delivers the lowest social net benefits nearly everywhere in SSA. Correcting this failure—through policy, behavioural, and market interventions—could yield substantial health, time, and emission benefits. Spatial mapping through OnStove enables more nuanced and targeted intervention strategies for cleaner cooking transitions.
The Lancet Planetary Health
This study uses geospatial modelling methods to evaluate strategies for achieving the Government of Nepal’s vision for a national-scale clean cooking transition. Using OnStove, integrated with a spatial multicriteria analysis model, the study identifies where and how policy interventions can maximize net social benefits. Results show that transitional and clean cooking technologies outperform traditional fuels everywhere across Nepal, with around 9,563 deaths potentially averted annually if externalities were correctly valued. Electric cooking offers the greatest overall benefit, and aligning subsidies with differentiated electricity tariffs can enhance energy security while reducing emissions. The approach demonstrates how spatially explicit planning can target vulnerable populations and guide inclusive, data-driven policy design.
Special Report, IEA
Nearly one in three people—mostly in the world’s poorest regions—still lack access to clean cooking facilities, with devastating health, environmental, and economic impacts. This report by the IEA and the African Development Bank outlines global trends, country-level progress, and pathways toward universal clean cooking access by 2030. It highlights the human toll of inaction, the social and economic benefits of cleaner solutions, and the urgent need to elevate clean cooking as a policy priority. By identifying key policies, technologies, and investments, the report provides a roadmap to mobilize international action ahead of major global climate and development summits.
