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Clean burning stoves in Zambia

This project, supported by the GoClimate community, improves health conditions and quality of life on top of fighting climate change in Zambian households. Consumption of local wood fuel is reduced by up to 70% with these improved cookstoves. This leads to a range of positive effects, both for the environment and for people’s health.

The stoves save 4.67 tonnes of wood per household per year. This equates to a considerable reduction in deforestation, which in turn helps preserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems.

Thanks to using less wood fuel this project contributes to that 549,123 less tonnes of CO2e have been released into the atmosphere during six months (its last monitored period June-December 2023).

This project is an excellent example of how climate action can be combined with improved health, increased gender equality, and sustainable development. The project started in 2021 and so far 99% of project households reported a reduction in smoke (or particulate matter) after the introduction of the stoves. 99.5 % reported time savings; female beneficiaries may use time saved collecting fuel or cooking to pursue other education or economic activities. By addressing multiple challenges simultaneously, the project creates a positive change that benefits both people and the environment in Zambia.

Background

Over 700 million Africans cook on three-stone fires. It’s an inefficient type of cooking when it comes to both the amount of wood fuel needed and the time it takes to collect and cook on these fires. 

On top of that the smoke from open fires causes 600,000 premature deaths each year in Africa. It’s the second-highest health risk on the continent. 

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Comments from the participants in the project

Almost 100,000 stoves have been distributed across Zambia within this project. The improved cookstoves are replacing inefficient, traditional 3-stone fires. Most participants collect wood for free while a few of them buy it. They cook both inside and outside the home which is made easy with these portable cookstoves. Positive comments from participants include that the cookstoves use less wood, cook faster, are stable and safer, produce less smoke and are user friendly. A few of the participants still use an alternative stove, mostly the 3-stones fires as a complement, something that has been taken into account when calculating the emission reductions of this project. The only change requested from participants was to produce a stove which can accommodate two pots.

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How do the improved cooking stoves (ICS) work?

The cookstoves have an improved heat transfer from the combustion chamber to the cooking pot. It saves both cooking and fuel collection time. 

The design of the stoves optimizes the combustion chamber shape, amount of fuel and air flow through the stove. Thermal energy is maximized by reducing the thermal mass of the stove minimizing heat loss through the sides and bottom of the stove. The cooking surface is positioned at the optimal distance from the fire providing optimal gas flow needed for efficient heat transfer. 

The global sustainability goals

This project contributes to the following Global Sustainability Goals;

Good Health and Wellbeing (3) – 99% of households participating in the project reported a reduced smoke and thus improved indoor air quality. According to WHO, women and children disproportionately bear the greatest health burden from polluting fuels in homes as they typically take care of household chores such as cooking and spend more time exposed to harmful smoke from polluting stoves.

Gender Equality (5) –  time savings for women who do not have to collect as much fuel and get access to a faster cooking method. Firewood collectors among the participants in this project are mainly female. The average time saved for fuel wood collection was calculated to 3.2 hours a week and time saved for cooking was around 2.5 hours a day on average. 

Affordable and clean energy (7)

Decent work and Economic Growth (8) – in 2023 16 people (11 male and 5 female) were employed in VPA (Voluntary Project Activity) 1 and 3 in Zambia. They are working in the permanent office and as monitoring staff. Since all distribution of cooking stoves is done now, the number of employees is lower than during the first year.

Responsible Consumption and Production (12) –  wood fuel savings due to the higher thermal efficiency of the burning stoves. In total each distributed stove saves 4.67 tonnes of wood per year. 

Climate action (13) –  during the last monitored period June-December 2023 there has been an emission reduction of 549,123 tonnes of CO2e. 

Project facts

Project name: TASC Clean Cooking POA – VPA 3 (Zambia) 
Certification: Gold Standard
Project start: 2021
Area: The project is implemented across Zambia and not limited to any specific provinces.  
Number of distributed stoves: 99,785
Wood savings per stove and year: 4.67 tonnes
Last monitoring period: June-December 2023
Crediting period: 15 years (5 years, twice renewable)
Funding: There is no public funding. This project is funded only by the private sector. 

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Sustainable Christmas gifts

Hållbara och klimatsmartajulklappstips

Let’s create a new norm by reducing newly produced and mass-produced items that (unfortunately) often end up in landfills. Instead, let’s focus on sustainable gifts or experiences that will truly be used and appreciated. The best part? This doesn’t have to take more time – on the contrary, this list is perfect for last-minute gift givers.

  • An experience
    This category includes everything from a “dinner on me” gift card to concert tickets, a spa day, or even a day in the woods where you show off your favorite hiking trail. You decide, and the range of experiences—whether purchased or created—is huge! This could also be a great chance to introduce your friends and family to the idea that local adventures can be just as luxurious as those abroad, such as an organic spa day or a glamping experience.

How time-consuming?
You decide the experience and the level of effort. Giving away a gift card for a homemade dinner may require a bit more work on your part—but it’s your future self that will handle that, not your December-stressed self!

  • Something second hand
    In the abundance of items and clothing available in our part of the world, there’s also a wide range of nice gifts to be found secondhand. Both digital platforms and physical secondhand stores offer plenty of options. The more of us who give secondhand gifts, the more accepted it becomes to give something pre-loved rather than brand new. Let’s create a new norm for secondhand gifts together!

How time-consuming?
If you’re looking for a specific item, you might need to spend some time researching and sorting through options. You might not find exactly what you’re looking for, in the right color, shape, or size. In that case, consider how important it is to get it perfect—or whether the recipient would be happy anyway.

Keeping an open mind while browsing secondhand can also lead to surprising discoveries. You might stumble upon hidden gems—a perfect gift you hadn’t even thought of!

  • Everyday essentials
    Many people have a tradition of playing a gift-exchange game where each participant brings a certain number of gifts, and dice rolls determine who wins a gift, or are aloud to steal gifts from others. It’s a fun game that often results in lots of laughs. Unfortunately, it’s common to use cheap, throwaway items that no one really wants, and these often end up in the bin shortly after.

A tip if you’re invited to such a game this year: buy something practical that will actually get used. Batteries, detergent, candy—or even toilet paper! These can still bring laughs and are far more likely to be used than tossed out a few weeks later.

How time-consuming?
You can probably find these types of gifts at your nearest grocery store. If you’re in an even bigger rush, you might find something at home to wrap up!

  • GoClimate gift card
    Give your loved ones a gift certificate that contribute to climate financing corresponding a chosen number of months’ worth of carbon emissions. The important climate projects we support work to transform the world’s energy systems, which are still 80% fossil-based. Additionally, the funds contribute to other positive benefits for local communities, such as clean water, schools, and healthcare investments.

How time-consuming?
You can order GoClimate’s digital gift card in just a few minutes via this link.

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Fuel efficient stoves in Honduras

The GoClimate community is supporting a Gold Standard project financing fuel efficient stoves in Honduras. The installation of these improved stoves does a lot of good. Indoor toxic smoke is being avoided , CO2 emissions are being reduced, trees are saved and new job opportunities created. The non-profit organization selling the carbon offsets to finance the stoves is called Proyecto Mirador.

Open Fire Cooking Causes Problems

Honduras boasts the fourth largest rainforest in the world, but deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate. One of the causes for deforestation is that wood is used as fuel. To lessen deforestation is crucial. Forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many animal species. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the current and most severe threats to the planet today.

The collection and burning of firewood for cooking is a time intensive task in Honduras, usually a burden for women. It destroys precious village-side forests and causes smoke-related health issues. According to the WHO, close to 4 million people globally die each year prematurely from illness attributable to household air pollution from inefficient cooking practices using polluting stoves paired with solid fuels and kerosene.

The project

The fuel efficient stoves combine clean combustion technology with local Honduran cooking practices. They are sold at an affordable price. The combustion process is more clean and efficient, compared to the traditional open fire system. Less fuel is needed and smaller branches can be used. This helps save the forests.

The toxic carbon monoxide is reduced by 79 percent, while the methane emissions are reduced by 94 percent. Reducing methane has a substantial positive impact on the climate. It’s a powerful greenhouse gas and the second largest contributor to global warming.  The gas has a global warming potential over 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year horizon. Methane has a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – only twelve years, compared to up to hundreds for CO2 – so cuts in methane will limit temperature increase faster than cuts to carbon dioxide.

The project has the potential to mitigate 225 000 tonnes of CO2 yearly. To understand how much this is, the EU average CO2 emissions per person and year is 6.8 tonnes. 225 000 tonnes correspond to the emissions of more than 30 000 people living in Europe. 

Economic Benefits

Apart from the positive impact on the environment and Honduran people’s health, the Mirador project provides economic benefits. Women now have more free time for other activities, and can spend money previously reserved for fuel on other essentials. A microenterprise program also runs alongside this project, training entrepreneurs and providing specialized parts to build and install the stoves. 17 thriving microenterprises have expanded to provide 170 local jobs in areas where reliable employment is difficult to find.

The following SDGs are supported

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Clean Water Project in Cambodia

The GoClimate community has contributed to a ceramic water purifier project in Cambodia. The project helps improve public health, avoid CO2 emissions and reduce deforestation. Previously, no ceramic water purifier programs have been commercially viable in Cambodia. With the assistance of carbon finance, this project is economically sustainable.

In total, the project has the potential to provide clean drinking water to an estimated 312,000 households over 7 years. GoClimate’s offsetting 6,700 tonnes CO2 is a part of this. Thank you to all our members who have contributed!

The Importance of Clean Water and the Problems with Getting Access to It

In Cambodia, the majority of the population boils water (to make it safe for drinking) on wood fire stoves. Many people do not use any sort of purifying process at all. Drinking unpurified water can lead to illnesses, where young children are particularly vulnerable. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, lack of access to safe drinking water is one of the biggest threats to humanity today. 

In the cases where the water is boiled, the smoke from the fire can have very harmful effects on respiratory health. Women and children are particularly exposed, spending a lot of time doing household work.  

Boiling is an energy intensive and time-consuming purification method, often involving burning wood. Burning wood leads to emissions of CO2, as well as to deforestation. To lessen deforestation is crucial as forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many animal species. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the most severe threats to the planet today.

The Solution

The project sells ceramic water purifiers to families across Cambodia. Once the water has passed through the ceramic filter the clean water is stored in a plastic container, giving safe drinking water at just a turn of the tap. No wood is needed, easing the pressure on Cambodia’s vulnerable forests. In addition, the CO2 emissions that would have come from boiling are omitted. 

Other Benefits

Cleaning water through ceramic water purifiers is good for the forests and the climate. 

Furthermore, as indoor smoke is reduced, respiratory health improves, while clean drinking water is an essential component to combatting diarrheal illness. The overall public health is improved, and this helps stimulate economic activity. Rural households save the cost for buying wood, as well as save the labour spent on preparing the water. Their resources are freed up for other activities.

The filters are produced at a purpose-built factory in Cambodia providing employment opportunities to locals. The filters have a number of low-interest financing options and many are sold to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who offer them at a subsidised price.

The project contributes to the following SDGs:

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Low-carbon Public Transport in Delhi

In busy Delhi, with more than 18 million inhabitants, air pollution is a big problem. In addition to causing severe health problems – air pollution caused 1.9 million deaths worldwide in 2019- the emissions from traffic harm us and our one and only planet.

To address this, GoClimate has contributed to the Gold Standard project Regenerative braking technology for DMRC. This project aims at transforming the public transport system operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). By increasing the system’s energy efficiency, the project has the potential to mitigate CO2 emissions by on average 47 000 tonnes per year. This reduction corresponds to cutting the yearly emissions from nearly 10 000 people living in India.

Technological Innovation

The project increases energy efficiency in the DMRC transport system by replacing old car brakes with new regenerative braking technology. The regenerative braking technology conserves electrical energy, reducing energy consumption from the electricity grid, leading to cuts in GHG emissions. As of 1st June 2021, DMRC has constructed a massive transport network of around 389 km with 285 stations, meaning that many people are able to commute in an energy efficient way.

What else has the project contributed to?

The project has created both new jobs and training opportunities. The project owner also engages in a number of community initiatives, for example creating the popular Delhi Metro Museum.

This project contributes to the SDGs 4, 7, 8, 9 and 13.

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The GoClimate Business Calculator

Our carbon footprint calculator for businesses allows you to report on your activities yourself. By inputting data on the most relevant emission factors, you can conduct an automatic calculation which shows your climate impact. This is the easiest solution for service companies or SMEs who want to get a quick overview of their climate emissions.

The calculations are compatible with the GHG protocol for many service companies. To learn more about how the calculations are done, please read our methodology here.

Our ambition is to help small and medium sized companies get a handle on their climate emissions in a manageable way, rather than dig into a full Scope 3 analysis of companies with more complex production chains. If you however need help with larger tailor-made calculations, please contact us at [email protected].

The Business Calculator covers the following emissions:

  • heating
  • electricity
  • servers
  • flights
  • business trips by car
  • meals
  • coffee
  • fruit
  • waste management
  • purchases of IT-equipment

If there are other types of activities or purchases that you would like to include in your calculation, you can do so in the “other” field. Here are some examples of what can go into this category and the carbon footprint of each activity or purchase. Please note that some emissions are stated in grams and some in kg.

Furniture

Office chair 72kg
Shelf 18 kg
Table 160*180cm 35 kg
Cabinet 100 kg

Drinks & Snacks

Wine bottle 1040g CO2e
Wine glass (150 ml) 208g CO2e
Soft drinks (33 cl) 170g CO2e
Beer (473ml/1pint) 500g CO2e

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Biogas generation in Thailand

Cassava starch production is a large industry in Thailand. It serves many purposes and is among other things used for food, animal feed and industrial purposes. As with all production, it however has its downsides. The main one being that the industrial process generates large amounts of wastewater, which emits methane when stored in open lagoons, as is the norm.

Capturing methane

GoClimate and its members have contributed to the Gold Standard project CYY Biopower Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thailand. By installing a closed anaerobic system, the methane emissions (a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than CO2) are captured. Methane has a shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide – only twelve years, compared to up to hundreds for CO2 – so cuts in methane will limit temperature increase faster than cuts to carbon dioxide.

Double gain

The captured methane is reused as biogas. The biogas can be used both as thermal oil replacement in the starch manufacturing process and also for generating clean energy for own use and sale to the grid. The emissions of the potent methane are avoided, and the energy sourced from the burning of fossil fuels is displaced.

Social sustainability

As all Gold Standard certified projects, this project is also socially sustainable. The project has significantly improved local air and water quality and the carbon revenue it generates provides jobs for locals, while also supporting social and educational activities. The clean wastewater is used to irrigate nearby fields and allows fish farming, enabling local communities to increase their income.

The SDGs and the numbers

The project contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals number 6,7,8 and 13.

97,000 tonnes of CO2 are mitigated annually, on average. Based on that the world average CO2 emissions per person was 4.9 tonnes (2019), this corresponds to reducing the CO2 emissions from nearly 20,000 people each year.

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Clean Electricity from the Indian Sun

India is the world’s fourth largest emitter of carbon dioxide. With its rapid population growth, energy demands continue to increase. This is why GoClimate has chosen to support a large-scale solar plant – the Gold Standard certified Greenko Renewable Energy Project, in Madhya Pradesh in central India.

India is heavily dependent on fossil fuels where coal is the largest source of energy. It stands for 70% of the country’s energy. For the climate, a shift towards more renewable energy is crucial.

The solar plant in numbers

With its annual average production of 328,000 MWh, the Greenko project has the capacity to supply nearly 400,000 people in India with clean energy every year. The solar plant could in other words generate enough electricity to cater for a middle sized city.

Each year, 308,000 tonnes CO2e on average are mitigated. In 2020 (a year incused by the pandemic) the CO2 emissions per capita in the world were 4.62 tonnes. This means that the climate benefits from the solar plant are equal to avoiding the emissions caused by nearly 70,000 people.

How the location of the solar plant is chosen

This large scale solar plant generates green electricity that goes directly to the Indian grid. The Gold Standard certificate is a hallmark and an insurance that the location for the solar panels is carefully chosen. They are often installed in desert-like environments where there is a lot of radiation from the sun and little vegetation, where the panels do not negatively affect the local ecosystem. No forests shall be cut down to make space for a solar plant, neither shall arable land be used.

New jobs in the local community

When a project of this scale is to be built in a small village, it is fundamental that they develop a good relationship with the local community. All Gold Standard certified projects have a grievance mechanism which enables community members to register and voice concerns.

On top of the project’s climate benefits, this project contributes towards the local economy through the creation of 12 jobs and has conducted 6 trainings to educate staff.

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Efficient Cookstoves in Central China

– less wood and better health

GoClimate is happy to have contributed to reducing another 8,000 tonnes of tonnes of CO2e emissions together with its members. This has been done through supporting the Gold Standard WWF Meigu High Efficient Cook Stove Project, for the third time. The project is located in the Shaanxi Province in the Central China mountains. It contributes to decreasing deforestation and protecting a giant panda habitat. In addition, the local community benefits from improvement in health and time savings. 

How is it done?

The project is based on a process of reconstructing inefficient built-in stoves for cooking and heating into being 70% more efficient. As the thermal efficiency is improved, the new cookstoves use substantially less woodfuel. Another benefit is the chimney that filters out toxic smoke.

The project operates in the Ningshan County towns of Huangguan, Xingchang and Simudi. Theses towns are near Huangguanshan Nature Reserve in Ningshan County in the Shaanxi Province. Due to the inconvenient traffic and the weak power supply system and high electricity price, there is no other power solution to replace the wood consumption. Making the use more efficient is of utmost importance.

For the planet

Not only is the climate helped by the 1,000 tonnes CO2e mitigated as less wood needs to be collected and burnt, but the deforestation pressures on the local giant panda habitat are eased. For decades, the deep mountain communities of Shaanxi’s Ningshan County in Central China have collected their woodfuel from the nearby Huangguanshan Nature Reserve. To lessen deforestation is important. Forests help keep our climate stable and regulate our water supply, in addition to providing home to many species. The crucial giant panda habitat is currently threatened and  violated, harming the rare pandas and other wildlife. Despite reports on the giant panda population slowly increasing, it remains one of the rarest, most vulnerable bears in the world. Habitat preservation is therefor key. Along with the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity is one of the current and most severe threats to the planet. 

Gains for the local community

Every year, indoor air pollution causes many deaths. Women and children being the ones most involved or exposed to this environment are worst affected. The project has the potential to make everyday life a little bit safer for the local community through decreased indoor toxic smoke.

Furthermore, time is freed up for local residents to focus on more productive tasks, like working for income. The chopping and collecting of woodfuel is done faster, when less is needed. 

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Geothermal energy on Sumatra, Indonesia

Ulubelu Unit 3-4 geothermal power plant, located on Indonesian island Sumatra, generates clean electricity going straight into the grid.

This project – apart from producing clean electricity and thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions – also contributes to Indonesia’s sustainable development. Indonesia needs to become less independent on fossil fuels, both when it comes to energy consumption and to export. It gives local employment opportunities and boosts the economy.

The great potential of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy sourced from the Earth’s core, by using the heat stored in rocks and fluids. The difference between the temperature in the core and on the surface of the Earth drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy towards the surface, creating a source of renewable energy that is harmless to the planet

Geothermal energy is a very good way to complement other renewable energies, like wind and solar, because it offers a constant supply that is not dependent on the weather. It is therefore considered a baseload, or readily dispatchable power.Energy can be sourced at all hours and under almost any weather conditions, it is reliable, efficient, and cost efficient on a long term basis.

This kind of energy source  holds a lot of potential but remains relatively undeveloped. This is due to both the high initial cost of geothermal exploration and also official Indonesian legislation, which until 2014 classed geothermal exploration as a mining activity prohibited from forest and conservation areas. In fact, about three quarters of the total final energy consumption in Indonesia in 2018 came from non-renewable sources. In addition, coal is Indonesia’s biggest export product, and there is a clear need for Indonesia to reduce the risks of relying on fossil fuel exports. Carbon sales is an important source of revenue, making projects such as Ulubelu Unit 3-4 fiscally viable, one of the reasons why we at GoClimate are so excited to be supporting this project!

The power plant

The Ulubelu Unit 3-4 geothermal power plant is located at the southern tip of Sumatra, in the Lampung province. Indonesia is home to roughly 40% of global geothermal resources. In South Sumatra, the potential of geothermal energy reaches up to 2,095 megawatts, equivalent to 10% of the country’s total geothermal energy.

The power plant has been developed by the company PGE. The capacity of Ulubelu Unit 3-4 is 2 x 55 MW. On average over 860 GWh of clean, renewable electricity is generated annually for Indonesia’s Sumatra Interconnected Grid.

So how is the heat from the centre of the earth turned into electricity? The way it works is that steam collected from the geothermal field is sent to the power plant. It gets separated from condensate and fed into steam turbine generator systems with a net capacity of 2 x 55 MW. Next, the condensate is collected and returned to the geothermal field to maintain groundwater supply. Electricity produced in this process is sold to state-owned electricity company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), for distribution to the grid.

The benefits of this climate project

As well as producing clean electricity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Ulubelu Unit 3-4 geothermal power plant contributes to Indonesia’s sustainable development. The geothermal power plant diversifies Indonesia’s sources of electricity generation, helping to facilitate its low-carbon energy transition. By improving the operation of the existing geothermal field, the project increases community development, while local investment creates local employment opportunities and boosts the economy. 

Some of the added values for the local community include the building of roads, in areas where the infrastructure was previously poor, and other community development projects, such as water supply, mosque improvements, and school upgrading.