GS11324 - VPA002 - Congo (DRC) Improved Cook Stoves-Kinshasa

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard improved cook stove project in DRC with VVB-confirmed additionality, a quantified 5% leakage deduction, and verified usage rates matching assumptions. However, the project-specific baseline lacks a documented reassessment date, no buffer pool is stated, and the verification process surfaced 17 corrective action requests and 12 clarification requests (all resolved), indicating meaningful initial documentation gaps. Several cross-document contradictions—particularly on the FNRB method and leakage percentage—reduce confidence in data consistency.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠17 corrective action requests and 12 clarification requests were raised during verification, covering missing ex-ante parameters, incomplete SDG impact descriptions, and gaps in the monitoring system description—indicating substantial initial documentation deficiencies (all resolved per the verification report).
• ⚠The FNRB method is reported as 'national_default' in the verification report but 'local_field' in the monitoring report—a substantive methodological discrepancy that was not reconciled.
• ⚠The leakage deduction is 5% in the verification report but 0.95% in the monitoring report, a five-fold difference that is not explained.

Credit Vintages