How is BURN's Clean Cookstove Revolution Impacting Deforestation and Indoor Air Pollution in Africa?
- yanabijoor
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
The problem BURN is solving
Deforestation and indoor air pollution remain persistent challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. One root cause is the widespread use of traditional cookstoves, which require significant amounts of wood and charcoal. Their usage is a major contributor to deforestation and carbon emissions. Traditional cookstoves also pose health risks to millions of families due to the smoke they emit. For low-income households, the cost of more efficient cookstove alternatives has been prohibitively high, making access to sustainable solutions challenging.
How is BURN solving it?
BURN Manufacturing, under the leadership of founder and CEO Peter Scott, tackles these problems by designing and producing efficient, clean cookstoves. BURN's ECOA line includes electric, biomass, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves manufactured locally in Sub-Saharan Africa. Electric, biomass, and LPG stoves produce significantly less smoke and particulate matter, which improves indoor air quality and reduces health risks associated with smoke inhalation. The company leverages carbon financing to considerably reduce the cost of its stoves, allowing BURN to offer a $40 USD stove for as low as $2 USD. This model makes clean cookstoves affordable for low-income families and drastically reduces wood consumption and carbon emissions.
Why BURN is innovative?
BURN's innovation lies not only in its product design but also in its business model. By utilizing carbon credits, BURN can subsidize the cost of its stoves by 60-100%, proving that climate finance can drive social and environmental impact. BURN’s ability to monitor and evaluate the sustainability of its impact through advanced, conservative methodologies distinguishes BURN from other manufacturers. This approach has facilitated the scale-up of their operations, making a significant dent in deforestation and indoor pollution.
The impact BURN is making
To date, BURN has sold over 4.5 million cookstoves, saving approximately 20 million trees and reducing carbon emissions by more than 21.7 million tons. Thanks to the reduced need for purchasing fuel, the company has positively impacted 25.1 million lives through improved health outcomes and increased household incomes. BURN has also created over 3,500 jobs across nine African countries, with a strong emphasis on gender equality, by employing a workforce that is 50% women.
What still needs to be improved?
Despite BURN's remarkable achievements, challenges remain. Expanding BURN’s reach to cover even more regions and diversifying its energy sources to include other sustainable options can enhance its impact. Increasing awareness and adoption of clean cookstoves in remote communities where traditional methods are culturally ingrained pose another challenge. Additionally, while they have made significant strides in affordability, continuous innovation in reducing manufacturing and distribution costs will be crucial to achieving broader accessibility.
Through strategic local manufacturing and the pioneering use of carbon credits, BURN exemplifies how innovative business approaches can effectively serve the poorest communities, saving both lives and the environment. Their inclusion in the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list highlights their substantial global impact and sets a precedent for using business as a vehicle for sustainable development and climate action.
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