It’s been everywhere: The New York Times; Bloomberg; The Guardian; The Daily Mail. The list goes on. If there was ever a question about whether the world cares about the devastating impacts of gas cooking, then the launch of the European Public Health Alliance’s (EPHA) recent report into the health harms and economic costs of gas cooking gave us our answer.
The statistics are shocking: researchers from the University Jaume 1 in Spain concluded that 40,000 Europeans every year die early due to pollution from gas stoves and that it costs the UK and the continent over 142 billion euros annually.
The research is worth noting not just because it’s so sobering – but also because it’s so comprehensive. For example, rather than limiting analysis to key countries, data in the UK and 27 European countries was scrutinised.
This approach is important. We know that overall, gas hobs are present in 33% of European Union households and 54% in the UK, but in places like Italy and Hungary this number can reach more than 60%. Taking these differences into account when whole-of-Europe conclusions are being drawn is crucial. Each of the components of the study reflect this level of scientific rigour.
The EPHA report and other research like it illustrates that working towards eliminating fossil fuels from new developments, and retrofitting existing buildings to be fossil fuel free, is a logical position for major property developers, governments and health organisations to take. For us at the Global Cooksafe Coalition (GCC), it’s about health impacts, economic impacts but also environmental impacts. As the world moves towards net zero, electrification of buildings is the most direct, cost-effective and efficient path.
At the GCC we recognise that when research is done in one place, the conclusions are still relevant in others. For example, in Australia, 38% of households still use gas for cooking and Australians spend 90% of their time indoors. We could expect that local research would show similar health and economic impacts here too.
Whatever country you’re in, cooking with gas has massive health and economic consequences which need to be addressed. Some of this can be done through cooperation with large property partners like Cooksafe does, but there’s also an important place for policy and regulation.
Australia, like the EU, has no accepted indoor air quality standards. Perhaps if Standards were implemented throughout the world, then the dangers of cooking with gas would be highlighted more regularly and those purchasing new cooktops would routinely opt for healthier, electric alternatives.
There are also options in terms of ventilation standards, construction codes and local planning mechanisms. Each small piece – along with new, groundbreaking research like that which is being done by the EPHA and others – has a part to play in making the future of cooking electric.
