VPA 17 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cook-stove project in Bangladesh with a VVB-confirmed combined additionality test and quantified (though very low) leakage deduction, but undermined by a project-specific baseline, a 6.5% gap between assumed and verified usage rates, no stated buffer pool, and an extensive list of data-quality findings and corrective actions across monitoring and verification documents. The project is at the tail end of its 2014–2024 crediting period, and the sheer volume of material findings (30+) and required corrections (25+) signals weak MRV discipline despite a reputable VVB.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Usage rate assumed at 99% but verified at only 93% in the 2023 verification report, a 6.5% over-estimation that inflates claimed reductions if not fully corrected in the ER worksheet.
• ⚠30+ material findings and 25+ corrective actions logged across the 2023 verification report, including inconsistent emission-reduction values between MR sections, missing sample calculations, and widespread data-quality errors in the installation database (47,508 missing phone numbers, name/address mismatches).
• ⚠Leakage deduction reduced from 5% (2016 verification) to 0.95% (2023 verification) with only a 'quantified' justification label; the basis for this 80% reduction is not transparently documented.
• ⚠Crediting period contradiction: the 2023 verification report states 2014-04-01 to 2024-03-31, while the 2022 validation report states 2021-04-01 to 2026-03-31, creating ambiguity about the actual crediting window.

Credit Vintages