Up Energy Improved Cookstoves Programme, Uganda – CPA No 030 supported by Republic of Korea

Audit Analysis

The Up Energy Improved Cookstoves project in Uganda is a Gold Standard avoidance-type project with VVB-confirmed additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but it is undermined by a project-specific baseline, the absence of a stated buffer pool, and fifteen material findings (including data inconsistencies in thermal efficiency values and methodology references). A significant discrepancy exists between the lifetime ex-ante estimate of ~113,100 tCO₂e (new 2024–2029 crediting period) and the 600,815 tCO₂e verified in the prior 2022 monitoring period, which, while attributable to different project iterations, raises questions about scope and parameter consistency across re-validations.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Lifetime ex-ante ERR of ~113,100 tCO₂e (2024–2029 period) is roughly 26× lower than the 600,815 tCO₂e verified in the 2022 monitoring period of the prior crediting cycle, raising questions about parameter consistency or scope reduction between re-validations
• ⚠Fifteen material findings in the verification report, including inconsistencies in rated thermal efficiency values between the monitoring report and WBT reports, and data/parameter tables not conforming to the VPA-DDs
• ⚠Usage monitoring method is contradicted across documents: the 2022 verification report describes an annual survey, while the 2024 appendix describes an assumed rate, creating uncertainty about actual field verification
• ⚠FNRB method is contradicted: the 2022 verification report cites a national default, while the 2025 validation report cites a local field measurement, with the same 0.82 value attributed to both

Credit Vintages Exhausted