VPA 57 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard improved cookstove VPA in Bangladesh with VVB-verified additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by a contradictory FPIC record (most recent verification report states it was not conducted), a project-specific baseline with no reassessment date, and a notable discrepancy between the verified ERR (523,571 tCO₂e) and the earlier monitoring report figure (352,957 tCO₂e). The project is CCP-eligible but CORSIA status is unstated, and the absence of a lifetime ex-ante ERR figure prevents a meaningful pro-rata delivery check.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠FPIC contradiction: the 2024 verification report states FPIC was NOT conducted, while the 2023 validation report states it was — the more recent document is privileged, leaving a safeguards gap for a household-level project
• ⚠ERR discrepancy: the 2024 verification report reports 523,571 tCO₂e while the 2023 monitoring report reports 352,957 tCO₂e; the 48% gap is unexplained in the extracted record
• ⚠No lifetime ex-ante ERR figure found in any document, preventing a pro-rata over/under-delivery assessment against the 15-year crediting period
• ⚠16+ corrective actions and comments raised by the VVB, including substantive items on stakeholder consultation scope, grievance mechanism implementation, and FNRB method clarification

Credit Vintages