Transition of household cooking energy in China since the 1980s

As urbanization accelerates and an increasing number of people move from rural to urban areas, changes in household energy consumption have become a major symptom of typical human-land relationship activities in different regions, i.e., labour migration is affecting household energy consumption, especially household cooking energy. Based on household data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989–2015), this paper employs a panel multinomial logit model and mathematical statistics to reveal structural changes in urban and rural Chinese households cooking energy consumption and the driving factors of these changes over the past 30 years and provides suggestions for the structural upgrade of household cooking energy consumption. The research shows that household cooking energy consumption in China has undergone a substantial transition since the 1980s, displaying diverse trends in urban and rural households. The shift from coal to natural gas in urban areas and from solid fuels to electricity in rural areas was driven by a range of factors such as per capita disposable income, government policies, energy prices and availability. Among these, household income was found to be the most influential factor. Additionally, migration had a notable effect on household cooking energy consumption in rural areas. The reduction of solid fuel usage and the electrification of cooking are proven methods of lowering household energy emissions, as natural gas releases 60% less CO2 compared to coal when producing the same amount of heat. The government must implement a focused strategy for the transition towards cleaner energy sources for household cooking, prioritizing rural areas by strengthening energy infrastructure and fostering the development of solar and wind energy. In urban areas, efforts should be directed towards enhancing income, stabilizing energy costs, and popularizing the use of natural gas.