GS2489 Efficient cookstoves in Benin and Togo – VPA3 – EcoBenin – Women, Soils and Energy

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Benin with VVB-confirmed additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by a project-specific baseline, no stated buffer pool, cookstoves found in poor condition during verification, and a 20% overestimation of the usage rate. The project is delivering only 66% of its pro-rata ex-ante expectation, which is conservative but raises questions about the accuracy of the original estimates. Multiple material findings and corrective actions indicate ongoing documentation and operational gaps.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Cookstoves found not in good condition due to lack of maintenance or rain protection, as noted in the verification report material findings
• ⚠Usage rate assumed at 0.9 but verified at only 0.75, a 20% overestimation that inflates claimed reductions
• ⚠FPIC not conducted, a gap for a project targeting women and rural communities in Benin
• ⚠Leakage calculation methodology unclear per VVB finding — the verification report notes the ER spreadsheet does not clearly demonstrate the 0.95 discount factor application

Credit Vintages