Rural Communities Access to Clean Cooking Fuels, Energy and Technologies: Socioeconomic Implications and Progress Toward Sustainable Development

This study investigates the impact of rural communities’ access to clean cooking fuels and technologies on sustainable development and socio-economic outcome. With data collected from the World Development Indicators and the Sustainable Development Index from 2000 to 2023, this study divides 43 African countries into five regions. It analyses the data using Pooled OLS and Fully Modified OLS techniques. The result from the analysis reveals that an increase in rural access to cleaner cooking energy positively impact sustainable development in Africa. Likewise, a 1 percent increase in rural access to cleaner energy increases African socioeconomic outcome by 1.43 percent. While, rural population growth negatively impacts sustainable development and socioeconomic outcome, FDI serves as a catalyst for improved socioeconomic conditions and in promoting sustainable development in Africa.  Among other things, government should expedite actions in ensuring total access to cleaner energy for cooking by reducing the commercialization timeline for the new clean cooking energy sources, providing subsidies and tax incentives for clean cooking energy sources, and establishing supportive financing policies. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by presenting empirical evidence of the positive impacts of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies on sustainable development and socioeconomic outcomes. Hence, this study offers valuable insights into the potential of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in improving socioeconomic conditions and in achieving sustainability.