Govt plans to fast-track electric cooking in green drive ahead of World Environment Day

With the aim to fast-track India’s transition to Electric Cooking, the Government has decided to hold a “Conference on Consumer-Centric Approaches for E-cooking Transition” in New Delhi.

The conference will be held on World Environment Day, which is celebrated on June 5, to explore pathways to accelerate the deployment of energy-efficient, clean and affordable e-cooking solutions, according to an official statement released today.

With rising fuel prices and increasing supply pressures, India needs a clean, sustainable and affordable electric cooking solution – one that also reduces its dependence on imports and increases energy security. The conference will explore enablers for adoption of e-cooking solutions such as finance, demand aggregation, carbon credits and business models.

Organized by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India, in collaboration with CLASP, the conference brings together institutional consumers, consumer research groups, policy makers, think tanks, manufacturers, and other enablers to drive dialogue and discuss strategy for the transition to electric cooking.

The focus on electric cooking is based on the recognition that e-cooking is a key pathway to Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), an India-led global mass movement to nudge individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021, Mission LiFE seeks to transform persons into pro-planet people, who would adopt sustainable lifestyles.

Access to clean cooking energy is a crucial aspect of India’s energy transition journey. The choices we make regarding cooking fuel can have a significant impact on India’s trajectory towards becoming a sustainable economy. India’s clean cooking transition requires rethinking individual and community actions and decisions that drive energy consumption, the statement pointed out.

Speaking on the government’s thrust on clean cooking, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ajay Tewari said: “Recognizing the health, economic, and environmental benefits of clean cooking, the Government of India has prioritised policies that promote cleaner cooking fuels. With tremendous strides being made on electrification, as well as an increasing share of electricity supply being generated from renewable energy, electric cooking solutions provide a great opportunity to propel India towards a climate-friendly, healthier and sustainable future.”

The Additional Secretary pointed out that with efficiency policy for induction cookstoves in place, the next crucial step is to encourage the widespread adoption of efficient and affordable products. “The e-cooking transition must put consumers at the heart of the strategy. Understanding the needs of the consumer and making them a partner in creating a mass movement should be central to the transition.”

Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Abhay Bakre said,  “The Government of India has launched the GO Electric campaign to promote adoption of e-cooking.”

The conference will also have a presentation by Energy Efficiency Services Limited, on e-cooking market transformation program and a presentation by BEE on initiatives undertaken to promote e-cooking.