Summary of research article published in Energy for Sustainable Development titled: The effectiveness of household energy transition interventions in a coal-using community on the South African Highveld

Globally, it is estimated that 2.6 billion people rely on dirty fuels such as coal and biomass to meet their household energy needs (IEA et al., 2021). The use of such energy sources has negative impacts on human health and the environment with an estimated 4.3 million annual deaths attributed to dirty energy sources (Landrigan et al., 2018). Factors such as poverty and unemployment, lack of clean energy infrastructure, and affordability barriers are some of the leading drivers of the persistent use of dirty fuels in South Africa. Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need to facilitate the use of cleaner energy sources, especially in low-income communities. The need to transition away from burning dirty fuels and achieve universal access to clean energy is a shared global target that forms part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (2030). However, the road to achieving this goal is unclear. The progress towards eradicating dirty fuels, especially in low-income areas, is hampered by region-specific socio-economic challenges together with individual preferences. Additionally, targeted clean energy intervention programmes need to be sensitive and responsive to factors that may hinder the continued use of clean energy.