GS7591 VPA 38 Zambia Western Province Safe Water Project

Audit Analysis

This Gold Standard safe-water project in Zambia displaces thermal energy from water boiling and has a VVB-confirmed additionality test with no reversal events. However, the verification process surfaced an extensive list of material findings and corrective actions—including a multiplication-factor error in the baseline equation and an incorrect total ER value—raising serious concerns about the robustness of the emissions calculations. The 0% leakage deduction, absence of a stated buffer pool, and multiple cross-document contradictions further weaken confidence in the project's integrity and data reliability.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Corrective action required removal of a multiplication factor of 2 from the baseline emission equation, indicating the initial baseline may have been double-counted
• ⚠Incorrect total ER value was stated on page 41 of the Monitoring Report, and the verified ERR exactly equals the claimed ERR (113,630 tCO2e), which is atypical
• ⚠Leakage deduction is 0% with only a generic 'quantified' justification, with no specific methodology or magnitude described
• ⚠Extensive list of 40+ corrective actions spanning the MR, ER spreadsheet, and VPA-DD indicates systemic quality-control weaknesses

Credit Vintages