In this policy paper, EPHA proposes policy solutions to reduce the serious health impacts associated with the use of natural gas for cooking in the European Union (EU) and highlights the need for urgent action. are.
Nearly a third of EU households rely on gas. Despite being marketed as a clean alternative, gas is a fossil fuel that releases harmful pollutants such as methane, benzene, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon dioxide during combustion. These emissions impair indoor air quality, pose serious public health risks, and contribute to Europe’s dependence on non-renewable energy sources.
A new health impact assessment by Jaime I University shows that homes using gas appliances frequently exceed World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards for indoor pollutants. Specifically, NO2 levels in homes using gas are significantly higher than in homes using electric alternative homes, and many exceed safe limits. The study reveals that gas cooking may cause around 36,000 premature deaths a year in Europe, a figure comparable to the number of deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant infections. The economic burden of these preventable deaths is estimated at €143 billion, with Italy facing the highest burden of €54 billion. HIA also highlights the link between gas cooking and asthma, predicting that gas stoves are responsible for hundreds of thousands of asthma cases each year, particularly affecting children. Countries such as France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Romania will reap significant health benefits from efforts to promote cleaner cooking alternatives. These estimates may be conservative because they do not take into account all the contaminants associated with gas cooking or indirect costs such as hospitalizations and lost productivity.
The transition away from gas cooking is essential to advancing the EU’s priorities in improving health, improving air quality and phasing out fossil fuels. Download the full article to see our recommendations.
