Up Energy Improved Cookstoves Programme, Uganda – CPA No 011

Audit Analysis

The Up Energy Improved Cookstoves Programme in Uganda is a Gold Standard energy-efficiency project with a combined additionality test and a project-specific baseline reassessed in 2024, but it carries notable integrity concerns: the most recent verification report does not confirm additionality by the VVB, no buffer pool is in place to cover the inherent reversion risk of cookstove projects, and the leakage deduction of 0.95% appears low for a household-level energy-efficiency intervention. Multiple data contradictions across verification cycles (ERR figures, usage rates, FNRB values, FPIC status) reduce confidence in the consistency of the project record.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Additionality is not confirmed by the VVB in the most recent verification report (Aug 2025), contradicting an earlier verification (Sep 2023) that did confirm it
• ⚠No buffer pool is in place to address the inherent permanence/reversion risk of improved cookstoves, and no reversal events data is available
• ⚠Leakage deduction of 0.95% (most recent) is very low for a household cookstove project where reversion to traditional cooking is a known risk; an earlier verification cited 5%
• ⚠FPIC status is contradictory: the validation report (Feb 2025) states it was conducted, while the most recent verification report (Aug 2025) states it was not
• ⚠Verified ERR (200,769 tCO₂e) is identical to the claimed ERR, and an earlier verification (Jan 2025) reported a higher figure of 224,672, a ~10.7% discrepancy

Credit Vintages