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Household energy transition in metropolitan and rural Nepal: Analysing meaningful energy transition through the Energy Cultures Framework

Kok, Dianne LU (2024) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20241
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Nepal has made major progress in expanding its national electricity grid, creating the potential for a double transition as increased access benefits the energy-poor and sets the infrastructural ground for transition to renewables. Many households, however, continue to rely on traditional and transition fuels such as firewood and gas. This problem is both social and environmental, as without the ‘meaningful’ adoption of modern fuels, development supports neither socioeconomic progress nor the sustainability of the energy system. Informed by qualitative semi-structured interviews in Nepal, this thesis applies the Energy Cultures Framework to model the materiality, motivators, and activities of household energy consumption. It finds that... (More)
Nepal has made major progress in expanding its national electricity grid, creating the potential for a double transition as increased access benefits the energy-poor and sets the infrastructural ground for transition to renewables. Many households, however, continue to rely on traditional and transition fuels such as firewood and gas. This problem is both social and environmental, as without the ‘meaningful’ adoption of modern fuels, development supports neither socioeconomic progress nor the sustainability of the energy system. Informed by qualitative semi-structured interviews in Nepal, this thesis applies the Energy Cultures Framework to model the materiality, motivators, and activities of household energy consumption. It finds that although many households are satisfied with the convenience of gas and electricity, major barriers to modern energy use such as income, knowledge, habits, and unreliable supply remain. Future change is mostly motivated by the desire for a convenient and healthy life and requires locally informed policy. (Less)
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author
Kok, Dianne LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Sustainability Science, Sustainable development, Sustainability Cultures, Energy justice, Practice Theory
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
No 2024:020
language
English
additional info
This thesis was written as part of Sara Brogaard and Mine Islar's collaborative project "Double transitions of energy: Analyzing changing energy poverty and access patterns in the era of climate change" with Interdisciplinary Analysts (IDA) in Kathmandu.

Funding for this thesis was provided by Right Livelihood, ÅForsk, and the Crafoord Foundation.
id
9154242
date added to LUP
2024-05-28 12:41:57
date last changed
2024-05-28 12:41:57
@misc{9154242,
  abstract     = {{Nepal has made major progress in expanding its national electricity grid, creating the potential for a double transition as increased access benefits the energy-poor and sets the infrastructural ground for transition to renewables. Many households, however, continue to rely on traditional and transition fuels such as firewood and gas. This problem is both social and environmental, as without the ‘meaningful’ adoption of modern fuels, development supports neither socioeconomic progress nor the sustainability of the energy system. Informed by qualitative semi-structured interviews in Nepal, this thesis applies the Energy Cultures Framework to model the materiality, motivators, and activities of household energy consumption. It finds that although many households are satisfied with the convenience of gas and electricity, major barriers to modern energy use such as income, knowledge, habits, and unreliable supply remain. Future change is mostly motivated by the desire for a convenient and healthy life and requires locally informed policy.}},
  author       = {{Kok, Dianne}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Household energy transition in metropolitan and rural Nepal: Analysing meaningful energy transition through the Energy Cultures Framework}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}