GS5047 VPA76 African Improved Cookstoves and Clean Water Programme: Gishwati – Mukura Forest Conservation Project IV

Audit Analysis

This Gold Standard improved-cookstove project in Rwanda has a functioning MRV cycle with a named VVB and no reversal events, but is burdened by an unusually large set of material findings and corrective actions (over 30 items) that point to persistent weaknesses in data quality, fNRB calculation, and document consistency. The project-specific baseline, 0% leakage deduction, and absence of a stated buffer pool leave moderate integrity and claim-safety risks. Overall the project is operational but its documentation and verification record show recurring quality issues that limit confidence in the reported emission reductions.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Over 30 corrective actions required in the 2026 verification report, spanning fNRB calculation errors, inconsistent stove IDs, survey methodology gaps, and missing evidence — indicating systemic MRV weaknesses
• ⚠fNRB value revised at least three times across documents (0.77 in the PDD, 0.98 in an earlier verification, 0.89 in the 2026 VR), and the method shifted from national default to local field, raising questions about baseline robustness
• ⚠Leakage treatment contradicts itself: the 2024 verification report described leakage as 'quantified' while the 2026 report states it is 'deemed negligible' with a 0% deduction, with no clear justification for the change
• ⚠Crediting period start dates on the Gold Standard Registry differ from the actual verified start dates, as flagged in the material findings

Credit Vintages