Less wood, less smoke – clean cooking in Uganda
Improved cookstoves for clean cooking and climate protection in Uganda
The cookstove project improves cooking conditions where they have a direct impact on daily life. In Uganda, improved cookstoves replace cooking with charcoal and open fires. They require less fuel, reduce smoke and emissions, and lower household costs. As a result, significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are avoided each year. A project that shows how simple technologies can combine climate action and social impact – efficient, practical, and with measurable results.
Technical project data – Improved Cookstoves Uganda (GS447)
The key facts of the cookstove project at a glance.
| Parameter | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Project location | Uganda, nationwide (all regions); geographic reference: 1°22′24″ N, 32°17′25″ E | Monitoring Report, Section A.2 |
| Project type | Distribution of improved cookstoves (ICS) to replace inefficient biomass stoves | Project Design Document (PDD), Section A.1 |
| Project standard | Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG) | Gold Standard Registry |
| Methodology | Technologies and Practices to Displace Decentralized Thermal Energy Consumption (Version 3.1, 25 August 2017) | Monitoring Report, Section A.3 |
| Project start | Initial project activities since 2006 | Monitoring Report, Section A.1 |
| Crediting period | Third crediting period: 01 April 2021 – 31 March 2028 (7 years, renewable) | Monitoring Report, Section A.4 |
| Project status | Certified Gold Standard project, active | Gold Standard Registry |
| Technology type | Portable, non-electric cookstoves for household and commercial use | Monitoring Report, Section B.1 |
| Number of stove models | Five different cookstove models (including Ugastove, EUF, SESSA, FOWE, AES) | Monitoring Report, Section B.1 |
| Fuel type | Charcoal | Monitoring Report, Section B.1 |
| Thermal efficiency | Approx. 24–28% (model-dependent); significantly higher than traditional stoves | Monitoring Report, efficiency tables |
| Maximum stove lifetime | Up to 10 years per cookstove | Monitoring Report, Section B.1 |
| Cookstoves distributed (total) | Approx. 761,000 cookstoves since project inception | Monitoring Report, Section B.1 |
| Cookstoves in current monitoring period | 324,674 eligible cookstoves (CP3) | Monitoring Report, “Sales Analysis” table |
| Annual emission reductions | Current monitoring period: 365,170 tCO₂e (2024) and 629,560 tCO₂e (2025) | Monitoring Report, “Product Vintages” table |
| Main impact mechanism | Reduction of non-renewable biomass (fNRB 88%) and lower fuel consumption | Monitoring Report, Section D |
| Monitoring & verification | Regular usage surveys, KPT tests, independent verification | Monitoring Report, Section C |
| Carbon Credit Rating | No external carbon credit rating currently assigned | No assessment published by specialised rating agencies |
| Carbon Credit Rating Type | No project-specific external rating methodology applied | Gold Standard applies its own rulebook rather than external ratings |
| Article 6 Authorization (Paris Agreement) | No authorization under Article 6 indicated | Gold Standard project outside state-based ITMO mechanisms |
| CCP Status (ICVCM) | No Core Carbon Principles (CCP) classification published to date | ICVCM assessments are still under development at project level |
| Handling of Double Counting Risks | Emission reductions are uniquely assigned in line with Gold Standard rules | Gold Standard Registry & monitoring reports |
| Additionality | Project fully dependent on climate finance; not feasible at this scale without carbon credit revenues | Project Design Document (additionality assessment) |
| Longevity of Emission Reductions | Emission reductions accrue over the operational lifetime of the cookstoves (multi-year impact) | Monitoring reports, stove lifetime & usage rates |
| Permanence of Climate Impact | Household-level, usage-based emission avoidance (no physical permanence) | Typical for cookstove projects |
| Risk Management & Mitigation | Regular usage surveys, Kitchen Performance Tests (KPTs), and conservative assumptions on usage and lifetime | Monitoring & verification reports |
| Social & Environmental Safeguards | Comprehensive Gold Standard safeguards covering health, gender, and local impacts | Gold Standard for the Global Goals |
What the project can contribute
Here we summarize what the project is actually intended to achieve and which practical improvements it can enable.
- 1
Clean cooking instead of open fires
Improved cookstoves replace cooking with open fires or inefficient charcoal stoves in Ugandan households. By reducing fuel consumption, significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are avoided each year. This represents a measurable contribution to emission reductions in a sector that has traditionally relied heavily on biomass use.
- 2
Reducing everyday burdens
The more efficient cookstoves shorten cooking times and significantly reduce the need for charcoal. Households save both time and money, while the effort required to procure fuel is reduced. This creates tangible relief that is felt directly in daily life.
- 3
Promoting sustainable use of biomass
By lowering the consumption of non-renewable biomass, the project helps reduce pressure on local wood resources. Less charcoal use also means less deforestation in the long term and a more sustainable use of existing resources.
- 4
Strengthening local value creation
The project supports local manufacturers and distribution structures for improved cookstoves. Investments in production, training, and quality assurance contribute to building a stable market for efficient cooking technologies. This creates income opportunities and technical know-how at the local level.
- 5
Reducing health and environmental impacts
More efficient combustion results in significantly less smoke inside households. This improves indoor air quality and reduces health risks, particularly for women and children. At the same time, emissions and environmental impacts are lower compared to traditional cooking methods.
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Global climate relevance
Emission reductions
The use of improved cookstoves avoids significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions each year. These reductions are primarily achieved through the substantially lower consumption of non-renewable biomass for cooking. This represents a measurable contribution to emission reductions in a sector that has so far been largely unregulated but is highly climate-relevant.
Reduced fuel consumption
The efficient cookstoves require up to 50% less charcoal than traditional cooking methods. Without the project, fuel demand would be significantly higher. Lower fuel consumption reduces pressure on natural resources and decreases the demand for non-renewable biomass.
Less smoke and combustion-related emissions
The cookstoves operate more efficiently and cleanly than open fires. As a result, fewer smoke emissions and pollutants are released into households. At the same time, emissions caused by inefficient charcoal combustion are reduced. The project combines climate action with a tangible reduction in local environmental impacts.
Additionality
The establishment of a nationwide market for improved cookstoves would not have been possible at this scale without revenues from the climate finance market. Income from the sale of carbon credits fully finances project activities and enables investments in production, quality assurance, and distribution. Without this climate financing, the project would have been implemented more slowly, on a smaller scale, or not at all.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – The relevant and the complementary contributions
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the cookstove project in Uganda delivers a range of additional benefits for people, the environment, and the local economy. In this way, it supports engagement in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project’s primary contributions relate to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Other goals are supported in a secondary or complementary way. Some SDGs are considered marginal contributions that are often cited but tend to have a more indirect impact in practice.
The project enables households to access more efficient and cleaner cooking technologies. Improved cookstoves replace inefficient open fires and significantly reduce fuel demand.
Contribution: More efficient use of energy for cooking and reduced consumption of non-renewable biomass.By reducing charcoal consumption and improving combustion efficiency, the project avoids significant amounts of CO₂e each year. It addresses emissions from the household sector, which has so far been largely unregulated but is highly climate-relevant.
Contribution: Measurable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through more efficient cooking methods.The project supports local manufacturers, retailers, and maintenance structures for improved cookstoves. This creates income opportunities, jobs, and entrepreneurial prospects.
Contribution: Strengthening local value creation and employment in production and distribution.Lower fuel consumption leads to a more conscious use of natural resources. Households require less charcoal and use energy more efficiently.
Contribution: More resource-efficient use of biomass in the household sector.Reduced smoke emissions improve indoor air quality and cooking conditions in households.
Contribution: Indirect positive effects on health, particularly for women and children.Lower consumption of non-renewable biomass can help reduce pressure on forest resources over the long term.
Contribution: Supportive effect, but not a direct nature conservation mechanism.
How CO₂ savings are generated
Clean cookstoves use significantly less fuel than traditional open fires. As a result, less wood, charcoal or other biomass is burned — and this directly reduces CO₂ emissions.
The amount of fuel saved can be measured and forms the basis for CO₂ certificates.
Traditional cooking methods are often inefficient and require large quantities of wood or charcoal. Efficient stoves use heat more effectively, burn more cleanly and reduce cooking time. Every unit of fuel saved results in fewer emissions from combustion.
Depending on the region and the type of fuel used, there are clearly defined emission factors that indicate how much CO₂ is released per kilogram of wood or charcoal.
For each project, calculations determine how much fuel would have been used without the clean stove (the baseline) and how much is actually needed. The difference shows how many emissions have been avoided. These values are verified and regularly updated — and this is what CO₂ certificates are based on.
Context and transparency
This cookstove project is registered under the Gold Standard for the Global Goals and is regularly monitored and verified. The reported emission reductions are based on audited monitoring reports and recognised methodologies for calculating greenhouse gas reductions in the household sector.
The project stands as an example of climate action measures in the household sector that are measurable, transparent, and designed for long-term impact.