Like in many developing countries, cooking stoves in Cambodia are fired with wood or charcoal. The efficient cooking stoves of this project reduce not only greenhouse gas emissions but also fumes, health risks and costs for participating families who come from the poorest sections of Cambodian society.

Every day, millions of people around the world use wood fuel or charcoal for cooking. This has severe consequences both for them and their environment.

As fuels such as liquefied gas or kerosene are either unaffordable or not available locally, the domestic use of wood fuel is widespread throughout developing countries. Demand for wood by far exceeds the rate of natural forest replenishment, making this practise unsustainable. Deforestation for domestic use also brings with it an increase in greenhouse gases, the loss of habitat for flora and fauna, the reduced regulation of water circulation and increased soil erosion. At the same time, smoke from domestic fires is a major source of respiratory diseases which are commonplace among women and children.

This project promotes efficient, easy-to-build cooking stoves in local communities. Their construction allows for higher combustion efficiency and more effective heat retention. If fired with charcoal - which is most commonly used in Cambodia - the stoves use 20% less fuel for the same energy output than a traditional stove. This makes the project not only gentle on the environment but gentle on locals’ pocketbook. But despite long-term savings, buying such a stove – which is two to three times more expensive than a traditional one - poses a large investment. The per capita GDP for Cambodia in 2008 was 818 USD or roughly 2.20 USD a day, with even less being earned in rural areas.

In this sense, this project is truly sustainable. Its environmental, social and economic benefits are felt immediately and in years to come

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