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Cooking fuel choice in rural China: results from microdata

Author

Listed:
  • Bingdong Hou
  • Xin Tang
  • Chunbo Ma
  • Li Liu
  • Yi-Ming Wei

    (Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing Institute of Technology)

  • Hua Liao

Abstract

Unclean cooking fuel is widely used in the developing world, and it is the main indication of energy poverty in rural China. In this paper, we investigate the situation, transition, and determination of fuel choice in China's rural household cooking. Using the large scale micro-survey data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we find that there is a big gap in using commercial cooking fuels between rural and urban households: 60% of the rural households adopt traditional biomass resource as their main fuel for cooking in 2011, while this figure is less than 5% in the urban. We also identify a significant spatial divide in fuel choice: in southeastern coastal areas, about 40% of the rural households prefer solid fuels, while this figure jumps to over 80% in northeastern areas. The longitudinal data also reveal a significant transition from traditional to modern fuels from 2008 to 2012. Moreover, the distance to the most commonly used farmer's market, education background, coal price and female labor participation are all influential in determining the households' choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Bingdong Hou & Xin Tang & Chunbo Ma & Li Liu & Yi-Ming Wei & Hua Liao, 2018. "Cooking fuel choice in rural China: results from microdata," CEEP-BIT Working Papers 110, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing Institute of Technology.
    • Handle: RePEc:biw:wpaper:110
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    File URL: http://ceep.bit.edu.cn/docs/2018-10/20181012081025724136.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Min He & Pei Liu & Linwei Ma & Chinhao Chong & Xu Li & Shizhong Song & Zheng Li & Weidou Ni, 2018. "A Systems Analysis of the Development Status and Trends of Rural Household Energy in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Vania Vigolo & Rezarta Sallaku & Federico Testa, 2018. "Drivers and Barriers to Clean Cooking: A Systematic Literature Review from a Consumer Behavior Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Jingwen Wu & Bingdong Hou & Ruoyu Ke & Yun-Fei Du & Ce Wang & Xiangzheng Li & Jiawei Cai & Tianqi Chen & Meixuan Teng & Jin Liu & Jin-Wei Wang & Hua Liao, 2018. "Residential fuel choice in the rural: A field research on two counties of North China," CEEP-BIT Working Papers 109, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEP), Beijing Institute of Technology.
    4. Hongyun Han & Shu Wu, 2019. "Determinants of the Behavioral Lock-in of Rural Residents’ Direct Biomass Energy Consumption in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Ebenezer Megbowon & Peter Mukarumbwa & Sola Ojo & Olawuyi Seyi Olalekan, 2018. "Household Cooking Energy Situation in Nigeria: Insight from Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey 2015," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 8(6), pages 284-291.
    6. Ovikuomagbe Oyedele, 2023. "Determinants of Household Cooking Energy Choice: Are Such Choices Influenced by Health Outcomes?," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(2), pages 553-564, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    cooking fuel; solid fuel; household; energy poverty; rural China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

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