VPA 9 - GHG Emission Reduction through use of Bondhu Chula (Improved Cook Stoves) in Bangladesh

Audit Analysis

The Bondhu Chula cookstove project in Bangladesh has a VVB-confirmed additionality test and a quantified leakage deduction, but is undermined by an extensive list of over 30 material findings and 25 corrective actions that reveal systemic data-quality and reporting inconsistencies. The project-specific baseline, absence of a stated buffer pool or ex-ante lifetime estimate, and the exact match between claimed and verified reductions limit confidence in the robustness of the credit claims.

Project Description

Red Flags

• ⚠Over 30 material findings in the 2023 verification report, including inconsistencies in emission-reduction calculations, missing sample calculations, and mismatches between the monitoring report and ER worksheet, indicating systemic MRV quality issues.
• ⚠Leakage deduction dropped from 5% in the 2016 verification to 0.95% in the 2023 verification without a clearly documented methodological justification for the change.
• ⚠No ex-ante lifetime emission-reduction estimate is available in the extracted record, preventing a pro-rata over- or under-delivery check against the 262,185 tCO₂e verified for the 2020–2022 monitoring period.
• ⚠Crediting stoves beyond their nominal 5-year lifetime (up to 7–8 years) was accepted only after a corrective action, raising questions about the durability assumption underpinning the baseline.
• ⚠CORSIA eligibility is not stated in any available document, leaving the dual-channel risk unassessed.

Credit Vintages