Understanding market-based solutions and access to finance options for clean-cooking technologies in Bangladesh
In chapters 1 and 2, the report first reviews the current state of the clean-cooking market in Bangladesh, covering a variety of fuels and technologies based on the significance of market penetration in Bangladeshi households, including natural gas, LPG and Improved Cookstoves (ICSs). Other solutions discussed in the report include electric/induction stoves, solar cookers, and biogas. Chapter 3 discusses the stakeholders who played important roles in moving the 2013 Country Action Plan forward, the consumer segmentation, and the prevailing culture of stove stacking within the segments. The subsequent chapters (chapters 4–6) then explore strategies and business models in which ICSs can be distributed across the country following a market-based approach through Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL’s) ICS program, with a focused discussion on access to finance and community engagement. Finally, chapter 7 puts forward specific recommendations to address ways in which the IDCOL ICS program can be improved and optimized.