Research Database

Residential combustion in Southeast Asia (SEA) releases large amounts of pollutants, including fine particles (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC) and greenhouse gases (GHGs). This study quantified the annual emissions from lighting and cooking by the residential sector in SEA during 2010–2018 to create a new regional emissions inventory (EI). Available survey data of urban/rural fuel consumption and carefully scrutinized emission factors relevant for SEA typical fuel-cookstoves were used. The period average SEA emissions from the sector in Gg yr−1 were 734 ± 6 (PM2.5); 70 ± 3 (BC); 327 ± 3 (OC); 312,436 ± 5154 (CO2); 943 ± 11 (CH4) and 35.7 ± 0.5 (N2O). Lighting contributed from 0.1% of N2O to 16.5% of BC of the total sectoral emissions. Biomass fuels and biomass derived fuels, mainly charcoal, accounted for more than 85% of BC and nearly 100% of OC emissions from cooking alone. Over the period, SEA annual emissions of BC reduced by 11% owning to the declining use of kerosene (14.2%) while emissions of all other species increased. Charcoal consumption was also reduced (−3.7%) while consumption of other fuels increased, maximum for LPG by 6.8%. Average SEA emissions per capita (kg cap−1 yr−1) of PM2.5; BC; OC; CO2; CH4 and N2O from the sector were 1.19; 0.11; 0.53; 507; 1.46 and 0.06, respectively. Spatial distributions showed the highest BC emission intensities over Java island of Indonesia and over several populated areas in SEA. BC was the key contributor to the total global warming potential (GWP) of the emissions, i.e. sharing 86%, 57% and 30% of the total GWP over 20-, 100- and 500-yr time horizons if biomass fuels burning CO2 emissions were assumed to be climate neutral. Interventions to eliminate kerosene use would effectively reduce BC emissions and bring about greater co-benefits.