Columbia World Projects' Combating Household Air Pollution with Clean Energy (CHAP) initiative research has made the cover of April 2024's Nature Energy Journal

We are pleased to announce that Columbia World Projects' Combating Household Air Pollution with Clean Energy (CHAP) initiative research has made the cover of April 2024's Nature Energy Journal, an honor highlighting its groundbreaking impact in clean energy research. CHAP's findings not only advance our understanding of energy use in household settings but also set the stage for future energy policies globally. The feature is accompanied by a specially commissioned Research Briefing, affirming the study's critical role in advancing sustainable energy solutions.

A key to the success of the CHAP initiative is the interdisciplinary, cross-border partnership between Darby Jack, KP Asante, and Kelsey Jack. Darby Jack, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia, brought his expertise in environmental health risks and innovative approaches to studying air quality impacts. KP Asante, Director of the Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana, contributes his extensive knowledge of public health and his deep connections within the Ghanaian health sector, ensuring the research was deeply integrated into the local context. Kelsey Jack, Economist and Associate Professor at University of California, Santa Barbara, added her economic insights into behavioral assessments and her analytical skills in evaluating environmental policies. Together, they are spearheading research that provides compelling evidence on the health benefits of switching to cleaner cooking fuels like liquefied petroleum gas in Ghana and building interventions and strategies to impact related change.

The publication in Nature Energy Journal is a testament to the rigorous research and dedication of the team, including significant contributions from postdoctoral researcher Abhishek Kar, who worked on this study for two years while at the Columbia World Projects and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.

For more details on the study and its implications, please visit the Nature Energy Journal website.