Promotion of clean cooking solutions in rural India by Infosys – VPA 1

Audit Analysis

The Infosys clean-cooking biogas project in rural India has a VVB-confirmed investment additionality test and a recently reassessed project-specific baseline, but is undermined by an extensive list of material findings and corrective actions, multiple cross-document contradictions (FPIC status, fNRB method, crediting period, leakage justification), and the absence of a buffer pool or any permanence safeguard. Pro-rata delivery is close to the ex-ante expectation (≈99 %), and the local-field fNRB is conservative, yet the sheer volume of unresolved data-quality issues and missing end-use tracking erode confidence in the integrity of the credit claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠FPIC status is contradictory: the 2021 validation report records it as not conducted, while the 2023 PDD states it was conducted; the 2026 verification report does not resolve the discrepancy.
• ⚠No buffer pool or permanence mechanism is stated in any available document, and no reversal-event data is reported, leaving the project without a quantified safeguard against credit reversal.
• ⚠The crediting period is inconsistent across monitoring reports (2020-2024 in the 2024 MR vs 2025-2029 in the 2020 MR), yet the 2026 verification report certifies a 2025 monitoring period, creating ambiguity about whether the period falls within a valid crediting window.
• ⚠Over 30 material findings and 30+ corrective actions are listed in the 2026 verification report, including incorrect ER calculations, missing end-user agreements, inconsistent digester counts, and a grievance register that was not available at site.
• ⚠Leakage deduction is 0 % with contradictory justifications: the 2026 verification report describes it as 'quantified' while the 2020 monitoring report calls it 'deemed negligible.'

Credit Vintages