NOVAFRICA Podcast: Keeping Gorillas in the Mist: The Environmental Economics of Accelerating the Adoption of Clean Cooking

In Episode 5, Season 7 of the NOVAFRICA Sustainable Development Talks, we speak with Professor Marijke Verpoorten from the Institute of Development Policy – University of Antwerp on her paper:
“Keeping Gorillas in the Mist: The Environmental Economics of Accelerating the Adoption of Clean Cooking.”

In this episode, Professor Verpoorten discusses the motivation behind the study and how environmental policy, through a Pigovian subsidy, a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and a lab-in-the-field game, can promote the adoption of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo—an area where charcoal consumption threatens biodiversity and forest conservation.

She shares key findings, including a one-third reduction in charcoal use, increased support for environmental policies, and social benefits that exceeded costs by a factor of nine. The episode highlights the potential of clean cooking interventions to contribute to both climate goals and household welfare.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here