VPA 79 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Bangladesh with confirmed additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by a project-specific baseline with no recorded reassessment, a significant FPIC contradiction between the 2023 validation and 2024 verification reports, and an extensive list of 18+ corrective actions that raise questions about the robustness of the underlying documentation. The verified usage rate exceeding the assumed rate is a positive conservatism signal, but the absence of a buffer pool, a lifetime ex-ante ERR figure, and CCP eligibility without a stated CORSIA position leave meaningful gaps in claim safety.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠FPIC status directly contradicted: the 2023 validation report records FPIC as conducted, while the 2024 verification report records it as not conducted — a fundamental safeguard gap if the later finding is correct
• ⚠18+ corrective actions required across the verification and validation reports, including unresolved issues on stakeholder consultation, grievance mechanism implementation, and credit ownership transfer evidence
• ⚠Leakage deduction contradicted between documents: 5% in the 2024 verification report versus 0.05% in the 2023 monitoring report — a 100-fold discrepancy that undermines data reliability
• ⚠CCP status is 'eligible' while CORSIA eligibility is not stated, creating an unresolved dual-channel risk

Credit Vintages