Economic evaluation of household firewood consumption and carbon footprints in Pakistan: implication for climate change mitigations

Abstract

Controlling the carbon footprints of household firewood consumption is critical for promoting global sustainability and mitigating the impacts of climate change. This study aims to investigate the determinants of household firewood consumption and associated carbon footprint in Pakistan by employing the 2018–2019 data of Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), Heckman selection model, and Tobit regression method. On average, households consumed 1706 kg of firewood in Pakistan annually, which generated carbon emissions of 19.29 Gg per annum. The results of first stage of Heckman selection model reveal that household head’s primary education, agricultural occupation, household size, rural residency, and KP region contribute to choosing firewood as an energy source, while head’s higher education, household income, housing types, adoption of cooking range and clean stoves, and residency in Punjab and Sindh provinces discourage firewood use. Similarly, the results of the second stage of Heckman model demonstrate that head’s age, household size, income, detached and semidetached houses, and KP residency significantly account for household firewood consumption expenditure. Findings of Tobit regression uncover that illiterate head with agricultural occupation, household size, and rural residency in particular in KP province have a significant association with household carbon emissions. However, female-headed households, higher education, paid work, household income, and Punjab and Sindh residencies tend to generate lower carbon emissions. Therefore, the study suggests raising awareness among females about the harmful effects of firewood energy, expanding access to alternative cleaner energy sources, and promoting the use of clean and efficient stoves. In addition, increasing household income and decreasing household size could be other valid policy options for reducing household carbon footprints