Child-Centered Digital Engagement : A New Pathway to Support Clean Cooking Transitions?

Despite notable progress toward universal energy access, millions of households across the Global South continue to rely on traditional biomass for cooking, perpetuating health, environmental, and gender inequalities. Technological interventions alone have struggled to overcome behavioural and cultural barriers that sustain fuel stacking and resistance to cleaner alternatives. This study proposes a novel conceptual framework that positions children’s agency and digital engagement as key mechanisms for advancing clean cooking transitions. Grounded in empirical and theoretical insights from energy literacy, environmental education, and behavioural economics, the framework identifies children (ages 6–13) as central agents for household energy transitions. By integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with participatory learning, it incorporates digital storytelling, gamified learning, and real-time feedback systems to foster behavioural change. The article concludes by discussing the primary stakeholders who stand to benefit from the framework, the socio-cultural contexts in which it can be empirically tested, and the challenges that must be addressed to ensure its effective implementation.