VPA 62 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Bangladesh with a verified combined additionality test, quantified 5% leakage deduction, and conservative usage-rate assumptions. However, the project-specific baseline, a contradiction in FPIC status across documents, and a large number of administrative corrective actions temper confidence. The project is inherently low-risk on permanence given its avoidance nature, but documentation quality and baseline robustness leave room for improvement.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠FPIC status is contradictory: the 2024 verification report states FPIC was not conducted, while the 2023 validation report states it was — this is a material safeguards discrepancy
• ⚠Additionality verification status flipped between the 2023 verification report (not verified) and the 2024 verification report (verified), raising questions about the robustness of the initial assessment
• ⚠Crediting period expanded from 5 years (2021–2026, per 2022 validation report) to 15 years (2021–2036, per 2024 monitoring report) without a clear documented justification in the extracted record
• ⚠FNRB method changed from local field measurement (2023 validation) to national default (2024 verification), which may indicate a shift away from project-specific data

Credit Vintages