GS10789 VPA7: Efficient and Clean Cooking for households in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard household cookstove project in DRC with VVB-confirmed additionality, FPIC, and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by ten cross-document contradictions in key parameters (fNRB, usage rates, ERR figures, crediting periods) and an extensive list of unresolved clarifications and corrective actions. The verified ERR of 643,466 tCO₂e for the monitoring period appears to cover all existing VPAs while the claimed 358,068 tCO₂e is specific to VPA7, making a direct pro-rata comparison unreliable and raising transparency concerns about scope delineation.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR (643,466 tCO₂e, verification report 2025-05) is approximately 9× the pro-rata expectation derived from the VPA7 ex-ante estimate (358,068 tCO₂e over 5 years → ~71,614 tCO₂e/year); while likely a scope mismatch (all VPAs vs. VPA7 only), the documents do not clearly delineate per-VPA figures, preventing independent verification of over- or under-crediting.
• ⚠fNRB value differs by ~15% between the verification report (0.73998) and the validation report (0.64), with no documented justification for the change; a higher fNRB inflates claimed emissions reductions.
• ⚠Ten cross-document contradictions identified across leakage, usage rates, ERR, fNRB, additionality test type, reversal events, and crediting periods, indicating inconsistent data management across the project's document set.
• ⚠No buffer pool percentage is stated in any available document, leaving permanence risk unquantified despite the project-specific baseline.
• ⚠Extensive list of 20+ clarifications and corrective actions (CLs and CARs) spanning SDG reporting, additionality scope, double-counting prevention, and funding source accuracy, suggesting the project documentation required substantial remediation before verification.

Credit Vintages

No issuances recorded on the registry.