VPA 80 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

A Gold Standard cookstove project in Bangladesh with VVB-confirmed additionality and a quantified 5% leakage deduction, but undermined by the absence of a buffer pool, a project-specific baseline with no recorded reassessment, a contradiction on whether FPIC was conducted, and an extensive list of corrective actions that raise questions about the robustness of the verification process. The ERR figures are internally consistent for the monitoring period, and the verified usage rate exceeds the assumed rate, which is a positive conservatism signal.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠No buffer pool is stated for a 15-year crediting period, leaving no financial backstop against potential reversal from stove abandonment or replacement
• ⚠FPIC status is contradictory: the 2024 verification report states it was not conducted, while the 2023 validation report states it was — the more recent and more rigorous verification stage is privileged, meaning free, prior, and informed consent may be absent
• ⚠18+ corrective actions were required across the verification cycle, including substantive items on stakeholder consultation, grievance mechanism confirmation, and double-counting prevention via serial-number tracking
• ⚠The ex-ante lifetime ERR estimate is not found in any available document, preventing a pro-rata over- or under-delivery check against the lifetime claim

Credit Vintages