GS5658 VPA 31: Improved Cookstoves for Environmental Conservation in Southern Ethiopia

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Ethiopia with VVB-confirmed additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by 14 material findings, over 30 corrective actions, and a two-fold discrepancy in verified emission reductions between the monitoring and verification reports. The project-specific baseline, unspecified additionality test type, and unresolved crediting-period contradiction (5 years vs. 20 years) introduce meaningful uncertainty into the credit claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR of 14,910 tCO2 in the verification report (Nov 2025) is double the 7,455 tCO2 reported in the monitoring report (Nov 2025) for the same period, indicating a material data-reliability issue.
• ⚠14 material findings (CARs) and over 30 corrective actions were raised, covering calculation errors, inconsistent methodology citations, missing baseline survey data, and misaligned SDG parameters.
• ⚠Crediting period is stated as 2021–2026 (5 years) in the monitoring report but 2016–2036 (20 years) in the validation report, a fundamental discrepancy that affects the pro-rata ERR expectation.
• ⚠Additionality test type is not specified in any available document, despite the VVB confirming additionality.
• ⚠Leakage deduction is 5% in the verification report but 13.27% in the monitoring report, a 2.6× difference that is not explained.

Credit Vintages