CPA 056 - Charcoal Stoves in Kenya

Audit Analysis

The BioLite improved cookstove project in Kenya has a solid additionality foundation (combined test verified by TÜV NORD) and a measured, recently reassessed baseline, but significant gaps in permanence safeguards (no buffer pool, reversal events unaddressed) and a notable discrepancy between the PDD's ex-ante ERR estimate and the issuance document's cumulative figure raise over-crediting concerns. Multiple corrective actions and material findings from the verification report indicate documentation weaknesses that temper confidence in the project's overall rigor.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠ERR contradiction: the PDD (2024-11-18) states a total ex-ante estimate of 1,498,873 tCO2e, while the issuance document (same date) reports 2,649,011 tCO2e — if the latter represents cumulative credits issued, it exceeds the full-crediting-period estimate by 77%, a potential over-crediting signal
• ⚠No buffer pool percentage is stated in any available document, and reversal events are explicitly 'not addressed' for a 20-year crediting period (2018–2038)
• ⚠Eight corrective actions were required by the verification report, including missing unique stove ID evidence, missing sample size calculations, and absent SDG/safeguarding assessments
• ⚠No verified ERR figure is available in the extracted record, preventing any pro-rata delivery check against the ex-ante estimate

Credit Vintages