A new clean cooking initiative aimed at reducing Bhutan’s dependence on firewood and imported liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while promoting electricity as a sustainable cooking solution, was launched this week through a stakeholder consultation bringing together government agencies, community representatives, and development partners.
The initiative, known as the Planethos Clean Cooking Project, seeks to accelerate Bhutan’s transition toward high-efficiency electric cooking technologies, particularly in rural and peri-urban households that continue to rely heavily on firewood and LPG for daily cooking.
The project is being developed by Planethos in partnership with the Horticulture Association of Bhutan (HAB), which will serve as the local implementing partner responsible for community outreach, training, and nationwide delivery.
At the core of the initiative is an effort to address one of Bhutan’s lesser-discussed energy challenges: the continued dependence on traditional cooking fuels despite the country’s abundant hydropower resources. While Bhutan is globally recognised for its clean electricity generation and carbon-negative status, a significant share of households, especially in rural communities, still rely on firewood for cooking and heating.
The programme aims to make electric cooking more affordable by providing subsidised cooking devices through carbon finance mechanisms. The approach aligns with Bhutan’s broader environmental priorities, energy security ambitions, and climate commitments.
“This initiative is not only about replacing stoves,” project officials said during the consultation. “It is about creating a cleaner, healthier, and more energy-secure future while ensuring communities are part of the decision-making process.”
The consultation focused on gathering feedback from communities and stakeholders on the most suitable electric cooking technologies for nationwide adoption. Three options are currently under consideration: a standard 2000W infrared stove compatible with traditional Bhutanese cookware, a more powerful 2500W infrared stove designed for larger households and heavy cooking needs, and a 2200W induction cooker, which offers greater energy efficiency.
Project officials stressed that local participation is central to the initiative, noting that consultations are intended to ensure the programme is “built for the community, with the community,” by integrating user feedback into the final design and implementation process.
Bhutan’s continued reliance on traditional fuels remains significant. According to figures presented during the consultation, firewood accounts for nearly 87 percent of residential energy consumption, while around one-third of rural households continue to depend primarily on firewood for cooking. Traditional stoves and open-fire cooking methods remain widespread, particularly in remote areas.
This dependence has implications beyond energy consumption. Officials highlighted that continued firewood use contributes to indoor air pollution, which affects household health, particularly for women and children exposed to smoke over long periods. At the same time, pressure on forest resources remains a concern, especially given Bhutan’s constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60 percent forest cover for all time.
Meanwhile, LPG, often seen as an alternative to firewood, remains entirely imported, exposing Bhutan to global price volatility and transportation costs, particularly for remote communities where supply logistics can be difficult and expensive.
The project proposes electric cooking, or e-cooking, as a long-term solution powered by Bhutan’s hydropower-based electricity system. Since Bhutan’s grid is almost entirely generated from renewable hydropower, electric cooking technologies can operate with minimal carbon emissions, creating a rare opportunity to align household energy use with national climate objectives.
A key financing feature of the initiative is the use of carbon credits to subsidise stove costs and establish long-term support systems. Under the proposal, emission reductions achieved by replacing firewood and LPG with electric cooking would generate tradable carbon credits under international certification systems such as Gold Standard and Verra. Revenue generated could then support stove subsidies, after-sales services, technical training, and local job creation.
Co-founder of Planethos.org, Kanishk Porwal, said the initiative could reduce approximately 1.2 tonnes of carbon emissions per household annually, contributing to Bhutan’s efforts to maintain its carbon-negative status.
The initiative is also aligned with Bhutan’s Carbon Market Framework 2025 and international climate cooperation mechanisms established under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to trade verified emissions reductions while maintaining environmental integrity.
Households participating in the programme would voluntarily agree to use project stoves in place of traditional cooking methods. Participation agreements would also include consent for GPS-based installation verification and secure long-term data collection, requirements necessary for international carbon market compliance and emissions verification.
Planethos said its leadership team brings over 15 years of experience in international carbon markets and has previously overseen the distribution of more than two million improved cookstoves across six countries.
For HAB, which works closely with farmers and cooperatives across all 20 dzongkhags, the initiative presents an opportunity to combine environmental sustainability with community empowerment. The organisation is expected to play a critical role in training households, facilitating adoption, and ensuring last-mile implementation.
Beyond reducing emissions, the broader objective is to improve public health, reduce the burden of firewood collection, particularly on women, and strengthen Bhutan’s long-term energy independence by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and making better use of domestic hydropower resources.
Globally, an estimated 2.3 billion people still rely on traditional fuels for cooking, while household air pollution contributes to approximately 3.2 million premature deaths annually, according to figures shared during the consultation.
Sangay Rabten, Thimphu
