Up Energy Improved Cookstoves Programme, Uganda – CPA No 032 supported by Republic of Korea

Audit Analysis

The Up Energy Improved Cookstoves project in Uganda has a VVB-verified combined additionality test and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but is undermined by 15 material findings in the verification report (including thermal-efficiency inconsistencies and data-parameter discrepancies), a five-fold discrepancy between the verified ERR under the prior crediting period (600,815 tCO₂e) and the ex-ante lifetime estimate for the current period (113,098 tCO₂e), and a project-specific baseline. The project's safeguards framework (FPIC, grievance mechanism) is in place, but the MRV data-quality issues and unresolved contradictions in key parameters materially weaken confidence in the claimed credits.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Verified ERR of 600,815 tCO₂e for the 2022 monitoring period is roughly 27× the pro-rata expectation of ~22,620 tCO₂e derived from the 113,098 tCO₂e lifetime ex-ante estimate over the 5-year crediting period, indicating either a major under-estimation in the ex-ante baseline or an inflated verified figure
• ⚠15 material findings in the verification report, including inconsistent rated thermal efficiency values (CL 01), discrepancies in average thermal efficiency between the ER spreadsheet and WBT reports (CL 06), and data-parameter choices inconsistent with the VPA-DDs (CL 02–CL 04)
• ⚠CORSIA eligibility and CCP status are not stated in any extracted document, leaving dual-channel risk unassessed
• ⚠The monitoring period (Jan–Dec 2022) predates the current crediting period (Dec 2024–Dec 2029), meaning no verified monitoring data yet exists for the active crediting window

Credit Vintages Exhausted