GS11935 GS11934 RVPA-32 Promoting sustainable use of biomass energy resources in targeted communities

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Nepal with a verified combined additionality test, quantified 5% leakage deduction, and documented safeguards (FPIC, grievance mechanism, benefit sharing). However, the project relies on a project-specific baseline, assumes a 100% usage rate without verified monitoring data, and lacks a stated buffer pool or permanence mechanism. Multiple document-level contradictions (ERR figures, fNRB units, crediting period dates) and low extraction confidence reduce confidence in the data record.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠100% usage rate assumed in the validation report with no verified usage rate available — a very high assumption for household cookstoves in rural Nepal
• ⚠ERR figure discrepancy: the PDD (2024-09-13) reports 9,466 tCO2e while the validation report (2024-09-27) reports 47,333 tCO2e — likely an annual vs. lifetime basis difference, but the inconsistency is not explicitly reconciled in the documents
• ⚠Crediting period dates differ between the PDD (2022-10-01 to 2027-10-01) and the validation report (2023-08-14 to 2028-08-13), with no documented explanation for the shift
• ⚠Minimum extraction confidence rated 'low', indicating at least one key document was poorly readable, reducing reliability of the extracted data

Credit Vintages