VPA 25 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

The Bondhu Chula cookstove project in Bangladesh has VVB-confirmed additionality and quantified leakage, but is undermined by an extensive list of 30+ material findings, 24 corrective actions, and multiple contradictions between documents (leakage rate, ERR figures, crediting period). The project-specific baseline, absence of a stated buffer pool, and data quality issues (missing phone numbers for 47,508 users, unit inconsistencies, missing sample calculations) significantly erode confidence in the verified emission reductions.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Leakage deduction contradicted between documents: 0.95% in the verification report (Oct 2023) versus 5% in the monitoring report (Oct 2023) — a 5× discrepancy that undermines confidence in the leakage treatment
• ⚠30+ material findings and 24 corrective actions identified by TÜV NORD CERT, including inconsistent ER values, unit errors in fNRB/ηb/ηp parameters, missing sample calculations, and data transfer errors between survey forms and ER spreadsheets
• ⚠47,508 end-user phone numbers missing from the installation database, raising questions about the verifiability of the user base
• ⚠Crediting period contradicted: verification report states 2014–2024 while the validation report (Sep 2022) states 2021–2026
• ⚠No buffer pool percentage or permanence claim period stated in available documents, leaving reversal risk unquantified

Credit Vintages