GS Microscale VPA : Integrated Domestic Energy Systems (IDES) for rural communities in India

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in rural India with VVB-verified additionality and no reversal risk, but undermined by a significant gap between the ex-ante lifetime estimate (225,430 tCO2e) and the verified figure (6,684 tCO2e, roughly 21% of the pro-rata expectation), a leakage deduction contradiction (0% vs 5%), unresolved double-counting concerns across overlapping VPA areas, and an extensive list of material findings and corrective actions still open at the time of verification.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified emissions reductions of 6,684 tCO2e represent only ~21% of the pro-rata expectation (~31,930 tCO2e) for the elapsed monitoring period, suggesting the ex-ante lifetime estimate of 225,430 tCO2e may be substantially overstated
• ⚠Leakage deduction is 0% in the verification report but 5% in the monitoring report (2024-08-05), an unresolved contradiction that could understate real leakage
• ⚠Material findings explicitly flag double-counting risk because the implementation boundary of VPA 2 coincides with VPA 1, 2 & 3, and a corrective action requires elaboration on double-counting prevention
• ⚠Eight corrective actions remain open, including demonstration of additionality, justification of the project start date, and validation of carbon title waivers between the project developer and VPA implementer

Credit Vintages