Gold Standard Verifies Cookstoves Project Has Reduced 1.8 Million Tons of CO2 in Ghana
The Gold Standard Foundation has verified that the Gyapa Project, a partnership between Relief International and ClimateCare, has cut a further 824,977 tons of carbon emissions as of its 2015 issuance, making it one of the largest carbon reductions for any cookstove project certified by Gold Standard.
Since 2007, more than 835,000 Gyapa stoves have been sold, cutting a staggering 1,860,777 tons of CO2. The project, which has received funding from the Alliance, also has created 780+ skilled jobs. By providing clean cooking solutions to over 4.1 million Ghanaians, the project also improves health and has saved families more than $84 million in fuel costs.
“We are pleased to see that this partnership between ClimateCare and Relief International has achieved such significant scale, and further, that the program is well-aligned with the market based approach to sustainable development we support,” said Peter George, Director, Enterprise Development and Investment with the Global Alliance. “It is this sort of initiative that will continue to support the creation of a thriving global market for clean household cooking solutions that will save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women and protect the environment.”
The Gyapa stove cuts charcoal usage by up to 50 percent, and reduces harmful smoke inhalation for cooks and others in the household. With its signature ceramic liner and sturdy base, the Gyapa cooks faster and is safer than traditional stoves used in urban and peri-urban areas. Gyapa stoves are sold in three different sizes to accommodate domestic and commercial cooking needs, providing significant socio-economic, environmental and health benefits to stove users and their communities. The most commonly used domestic model is priced at under $10, making it accessible to households most in need of cleaner and more efficient cooking options.
The success of the project comes as a result of innovative work by Relief International and ClimateCare to take a market-based approach to sustainable development. The production, sale and use of these low-cost, innovative stoves drive economic growth as well as positive social and environmental change.
The Gyapa stove is produced and sold by local entrepreneurs in Ghana, with a value chain comprising eight certified ceramists, who employ more than 50 workers; 130 metal artisans who manufacture the stoves, and 600 retail agents who sell Gyapa™ across Ghana. This makes Gyapa Enterprises one of Africa’s most successful social enterprise ventures.
Registered as a carbon finance program in late 2007, the project has partly financed itself through the sale of Gold Standard Carbon Credits to businesses and governments around the world. Organizations including the U.S. government’s USAID and EPA, the Shell Foundation and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves have also supported the project.
The Gyapa program has played a critical role in Ghana, and continues to drive sustained growth in the manufacture and sale of fuel-efficient cookstoves. At the same time, the production, sale and use of Gyapa stoves reduces disease, tackles poverty and cuts global carbon emissions.
Organizations that wish to support the continued growth of this record-breaking project can do so by purchasing Gold Standard Carbon Credits through ClimateCare on +44(0)1865 591000.