VPA 14 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

The Bondhu Chula cookstove project in Bangladesh has a VVB-confirmed additionality assessment and a conservatively quantified leakage deduction, but is undermined by an extensive list of material findings (over 25 items), numerous corrective actions, and several contradictions between monitoring and verification documents. The project-specific baseline, absence of a stated buffer pool, and data-quality issues in the installation database and survey forms reduce confidence in the robustness of the credit claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Over 25 material findings and 25+ corrective actions identified in the 2023 verification report, including inconsistencies in emission reduction values, missing sample calculations, and data-quality problems in the installation database (47,508 end-users with missing phone numbers).
• ⚠Contradiction in leakage deduction between the 2016 verification report (5%) and the 2023 verification report (0.95), a discrepancy of nearly 20× that raises questions about which figure governs the credit calculation.
• ⚠Crediting period discrepancy: the 2022 validation report lists 2021–2026 while the 2023 verification report lists 2014–2024, creating ambiguity about the applicable crediting window.

Credit Vintages