Journal Article
The sustainability of energy use in the residential sector has relevance for global initiatives to achieve sustainable
development and limit climate change. Using the city of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, as a case study, we look at
how national energy policy has influenced household cooking energy use between 1990 and 2018, and how en-
ergy policy could achieve further progress to realise national and global priorities. The study involved question-
naire surveys of households, retailers, transporters and producers of charcoal; semi-structured interviews with
government officials and non-charcoal fuel suppliers; price data collection; a comparative analysis of prices
and taxes for different cooking fuels; and policy and document review. Trends in energy policy and demand
for different fuels, are compared. We find that Tanzania's national energy policies have focused on achieving
an energy transition from biomass to electricity and fossil fuels, with an increasing focus on supply-side issues.
Fiscal policy tools have been used effectively to reduce demand for kerosene, while increasing demand for lique-
fied petroleum gas. However, this has not resulted in a transition away from biomass, with most households
using multiple fuels (fuel stacking). Charcoal remains the cheapest (excluding firewood) and most widely used
fuel, reflecting the strong influence of price in consumer fuel choices. Energy policy needs to acknowledge the
continued dominance of charcoal in urban energy use. In the context of rapid urbanisation and increased energy
demand, there is a need for sustainable urban energy planning across a range of fuel types including charcoal, in
ways that balance economic, social and environmental outcomes. Greater inter-sectoral coordination is needed
to improve the sustainability of urban residential energy supplies.
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of International Energy Initiative. This is an open access
article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).