Abstract
This paper explores the behavioural drivers of households’ cooking energy decision-making. We empirically examine the effect of time and spatial discounting on cooking energy choices using Generalised Structural Equation Modelling. We rely on the nationally representative household dataset from Benin’s Harmonised Survey on Living Conditions of Households in 2019. The findings highlight that households’ tendencies towards temporal discounting have detrimental effects on cleaner cooking energies, while spatial discounting promotes the adoption of cleaner cooking energy sources. Furthermore, we discern that the influence of time and spatial discounting varies across rural and urban areas, yielding heterogeneous effects. These findings have implications for a better understanding of the non-economic constraints that hinder the promotion of cleaner cooking energies in developing countries.
