ISLAMABAD: With only 51 percent of Pakistan’s population having access to clean cooking facilities, energy experts on Thursday urged the government to promote affordable electric stoves and local manufacturing to reduce dependence on imported gas, firewood and other traditional fuels.
Speaking at a national consultation jointly organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA), experts said Pakistan’s expanding solar capacity and surplus electricity offered an opportunity to accelerate the transition to electric cooking.
NEECA Joint Director Dr Jamsheed Ali said Pakistan lagged behind regional countries, with clean cooking access exceeding 80 percent in India and reaching 92.8 percent in Bhutan. He called for stronger policies, financing mechanisms and institutional coordination.
SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said biomass use exposed rural households, particularly women and children, to harmful emissions, while urban areas continued to face gas shortages. He urged the government to introduce winter electricity incentives and encourage local production of affordable electric stoves.
UNESCAP’s Fadia Ahmadi said household air pollution was linked to approximately 2.9 million premature deaths annually worldwide. Alicia Butterfield of the Global Electric Cooking Coalition said Pakistan’s estimated 50 gigawatts of solar capacity could support a large-scale shift towards electric cooking.
Experts stressed that affordable appliances, consumer awareness and government incentives were essential to making clean cooking accessible nationwide.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026