The recent release of the first international standard for laboratory testing of cookstoves will have significant impact on manufacturer guidelines to support the improvement of cookstove quality and performance for millions of people. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the co-secretariat of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 285 on Clean Cookstoves and Cooking Solutions, which helped support the development of the standard. The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) is the twinned co-secretariat.
The standard, ISO/TR 21276:2018, includes protocols to test and report the emissions, efficiency, safety, and durability of cookstoves in a lab setting. It is expected to replace an ISO International Workshop Agreement from 2012, and is expected to serve as the basis for national policies and programs on cookstoves, while also incentivizing manufacturers and developers to improve stove quality and performance.
"Standards play a critical role in virtually every industry, delivering transformative impact on safety and performance," said Sally Seitz, co-secretariat of ISO TC 285 and senior program manager at ANSI. "With the publication of this standard, the clean cooking sector is poised to make significant strides toward better products and, ultimately, toward improved outcomes for consumers who use them."
ISO TC 285 recently published a technical report to provide harmonized definitions of key terms and concepts used within the sector related to clean cookstoves and clean cooking solutions. In addition, the ISO TC 285 has also been developing guidance on field testing, which is currently open for ballot at the draft international standard phase. If approved, it is expected to reach the final phase of development in late 2018 or early 2019. See ISO Cookstove Standards: FAQ and Stakeholder Guidance for more information.