Sociocultural determinants of electric cooking in rural Namibia: Recommendations for youth and educational approaches to implementation strategy and policy

Electric cookstoves and other efficient cooking devices are popular solutions in international energy development for their presence in multiple Sustainable Development Goals, yet their uptake remains a challenge. Though energy use is a household affair, rarely are the local culture and all household members considered and intentionally engaged in cookstove implementation programs. Drawing on an energy cultures framework, the findings of a quasi-experimental study conducted in rural Namibia indicate that households with children who attended a sustainable energy education program during their school years were significantly more likely to prefer modern energy services and be less committed to their traditional biomass cookstoves than similar households in their community. This study finds that while socioeconomic status informs the dominant energy culture of a community, within that culture, educational programming for children and youth enables change. Sustainability education may be an effective tool in sustainable cooking energy implementation strategies with the potential to shift attitudes and decision-making within households and across communities.