Household fuelwood consumption and determinants of green energy technology adoption in rural Ethiopia

Abstract

Fuelwood remains the dominant household energy source in rural Ethiopia, driving deforestation, forest degradation, and carbon emissions. Promoting green energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic systems, improved cookstoves, and biogas offers a sustainable pathway to ease this pressure. However, most previous studies have predominantly focused on examining determinants of these technologies in isolation, leaving a critical gap in understanding the factors that influence their joint adoption. This study therefore aimed to quantify household fuelwood consumption and associated CO₂ emissions while examines the determinants of simultaneous adoption of multiple green energy technologies. The study employed a cross-sectional survey of 315 households, proportionally distributed across nine districts and three agroclimatic zones, conducted between January and June 2024. Household fuelwood consumption and CO₂ emissions were quantified using conversion factors and a standard emissions formula, with comparisons across agroecological zones performed using Welch’s ANOVA and Games-Howell tests. The determinants of green energy technology adoption were analyzed using a binary logistic and multinomial logit regression models. The results showed that households consumed an average of 1.72 ± 0.93 tons of fuelwood annually, equivalent to 1.85 ± 1.00 tCO₂e emissions, with highland households consuming more than those in midland and lowland areas. Results from regression models revealed that being a female-headed household, having a higher education level and income, and being a cooperative member significantly increased the likelihood of adopting green energy technologies, whereas larger tree land holdings and reliance on biomass residues reduced the adoption probability. Despite ongoing promotion efforts, only about 40% of sampled households adopted at least one type of green energy technology, with financial constraints, limited availability, and lack of awareness cited as major barriers to adoption. These findings highlight the need for context-specific interventions to accelerate adoption, mitigate forest degradation, and support Ethiopia’s climate-resilient green economy strategy. • Fuelwood remains the dominant household energy source in rural Ethiopia. • Average fuelwood consumption was 1.72 tons per household, emitting 1.86 tCO 2 e yearly. • Significant fuelwood use variation observed across agroecological zones. • Despite ongoing efforts, adoption rate of green energy technologies remains low, at below 40% of sampled households. • Adoption of green energy technologies is influenced by several factors, including gender, education level, and income.