Press Release – ECOLIFE Carbon Certification
ECOLIFE Conservation Carbon Certification: What does this mean for ECOLIFE’S stove program moving forward
A big accomplishment for ECOLIFE in 2021 was receiving the official designation of a Gold Standard Certified Carbon Project. The Gold Standard is the best-recognized global organization for certification of carbon reduction projects for the Voluntary Market. “Gold Standard Certified” implies the most rigorous review of VER credits. It only registers projects that have proven reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in ways that contribute to sustainable environmental, economic, and humanitarian development of the country. The thorough and extensive methodology and approval process of the Gold Standard is designed to certify the highest quality sustainable projects.
This means our Patsari cookstove program is able to generate and sell verified emission reductions, or carbon credits. As part of the certification process, monitoring surveys, kitchen performance tests, and independent audits provide the means to transparently evaluate the project impact. Project implementation is at an all time high, with construction rates exceeding past records. This will allow ECOLIFE to surpass 10,000 stoves in 2022.
The income generated from the sale of carbon credits provides a sustainable revenue model for the program, allowing us to scale the project and its impact. On top of the ability to scale the project, the strict requirements of the methodology enhance the overall quality and transparency of our project. Because the project impact must be verifiable, ECOLIFE has developed robust monitoring procedures and data infrastructure to track and improve the program like never before.
This accomplishment was no easy endeavor and every ECOLIFE team member had a valuable part to play in achieving the certification. Two years in the making, it required; 184 3-day field tests, 240 monitoring visits, 2 independent technical audits, and 3 certification reviews. Congratulations and thank you to the; builders, promoters, staff, board, volunteers, and all of you that made it possible!
The stoves constructed and monitored between April 2019 and June 2021 reduced 20,320 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and provided a means of clean energy cooking for 3,189 households on an ongoing basis. This means on average one stove can reduce 3.08 tons of CO2 per year. These carbon credits sales will create a reliable stream of income for the stove program as we continue to increase our stove building. At ECOLIFE Conservation, we focus on people and the environment in equal measure, with the philosophy the two are – by nature – interdependent. Carbon credits allow us to build more stoves; saving more lives, protecting more monarch habitat, and reducing more carbon emissions.