At a glance
More than 2 billion people cook their meals on three-stone fires, which typically burn solid biomass fuels such as wood and charcoal. They're inefficient, dangerous and pose health risks to both the people who use them and the planet.
This project involves the installation of high-efficiency cookstoves in Malawi. The project has distributed and installed over 268,000 fuel-efficient improved cookstoves to households in Malawi to replace current open fire cooking practices. The cookstoves are manufactured in Malawi using locally available clay.
Carbon impact
The introduction of the cookstove will result in fuel savings through the reduction of firewood, which will promote the conservation of existing forest resources and the protection of natural ecosystems. More than 3 tonnes of forest biomass are expected to be protected through the reduction of deforestation and forest degradation as a result of project implementation.
The project will also increase biomass supply and promote sustainable production of renewable wood resources through the distribution of over 250,000 bamboo seedlings to the local community. The bamboo seedlings also serve as an incentive for households to maintain and use the improved cookstoves. The project activities have so far reduced over 870,000 tCO2e emissions through the distribution of 268,000 improved cookstoves. The emission reductions are expected to last for the duration of the project (10 years).
Co-benefits
Household adoption of improved cookstoves resulted in improved indoor air quality due to reduced indoor smoke pollution and time savings in collecting firewood, which is often done by women and children. 280 local Malawians were provided with full-time employment opportunities through the project. The project provided both full-time and seasonal employment opportunities, with a focus on employing local women and improving their livelihoods. In addition, 2,800 drip irrigation kits were distributed to local households who adopted the improved cook stoves, enabling vegetable production during the dry season, increasing climate resilience and promoting food security.
The project provided 20 educational scholarships for female students, increasing access to higher education in the local community. The project also introduced community awareness and education campaigns on climate change, sustainable development, health and nutrition, and established a local health clinic, improving the maternal health, well-being and nutritional status of over 4,000 local community members. Finally, the project implemented the Village and Savings Loans (VSL) programme, which involves a self-governing group of villagers with access and capacity to manage basic financial services within the community. The project promoter contributes $0.05 for each improved cookstove used to a common pool of funds available to stove beneficiaries in the form of loans.
Project gallery
Location of the project
Project partner
Verified Carbon Standard (Verra)
This project is verified by Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). VCS was established in 2007 and is a full-fledged carbon offset program developed and run by the non-profit Verra. It focuses on GHG reduction attributes only and does not require projects to have additional environmental or social benefits. The VCS is broadly supported by the carbon offset industry (project developers, large offset buyers, verifiers, and projects consultants) and is active globally.
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
The project also implemented a local health clinic, improving the maternal health, well-being, and nutritional status of over 4,000 local community members.
Awareness and education campaigns on climate change, sustainable development, and health and nutrition well-being have also been introduced by the project for the local community.
The project will also increase biomass supply and promote the sustainable production of renewable wood sources through the distribution of over 250,000 bamboo seedlings within the local community. The bamboo seedlings also serve the purpose of incentivising households to maintain and use the improved cookstoves.
