One of ECOLIFE’s greatest accomplishments in 2021 was becoming designated as a Gold Standard Certified Carbon Project. Why is this such a significant accomplishment for us? This certification proves that our Patsari stove project can effectively reduce carbon emissions and allows the project to generate and sell verified emission reductions, also known as carbon credits.
What Are Carbon Credits?
Before we discuss how carbon credits factor into ECOLIFE’s mission, we’ll explain what carbon credits are and why they matter.
So what exactly are carbon credits? One carbon credit corresponds to one ton of carbon dioxide reduced, avoided, or eliminated from the atmosphere. These credits are developed by following a strict set of international standards quantifying emission reductions. After being verified, they can be sold on voluntary markets to organizations dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint.
As a note, voluntary carbon markets allow carbon-emitting organizations to neutralize emissions that cannot be eliminated by purchasing carbon credits sold by organizations like ECOLIFE, which remove or reduce carbon emissions from the atmosphere.
As part of our commitment to protecting ecosystems for both the wildlife and the humans that depend on them, we achieved carbon credit certification under Gold Standard for the Global Goals. This was important to us because it is the most respected global organization for certification of carbon reduction projects. Being “Gold Standard certified” indicates that a carbon-eliminating project has undergone the most rigorous review of Voluntary Emission Reduction credits.
Carbon credits play a vital role in reducing climate change by directing funding toward programs that have proven environmental and social benefits, such as our Patsari stove project. This funding from voluntary markets provides these programs with a sustainable revenue model that allows us to scale implementation and impact.
ECOLIFE Conservation Carbon Certification
Our Patsari stove project has been officially designated as a Certified Gold Standard Project. The Gold Standard only registers projects that have been proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways that contribute to the sustainable environmental, economic, and humanitarian development of the country. This certification provides transparency regarding our impact on health, climate, and sustainable development. Thanks to this certification, ECOLIFE’s Patsari stove project can generate and sell Voluntary Emission Reductions as of December 2021.
How Patsari Stoves and Carbon Credits Help Ecosystems
To attain this Gold Standard certification, the Patsari stove project underwent a rigorous process that included monitoring surveys, kitchen performance tests, and independent audits used to evaluate the project’s impact. This process helps ensure the quality of the project and provides transparency regarding its environmental impact. As part of this process, we have now developed robust monitoring procedures and data infrastructure to establish consistent monitoring and improvement of this project.
In addition to the stove project’s Gold Standard certification, it is also recognized in seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These goals are a call to action recognizing that ending poverty and climate change are closely related issues that must be solved together.
- No Poverty – ECOLIFE directly addresses the needs of communities to prepare their food in a way that is safe for both their households and their surrounding environment by developing the Patsari stove. Our stoves provide a cleaner and more efficient combustion method that saves energy for cooking, improving the quality of basic domestic services and reducing poverty levels.
- Zero Hunger – To allow stove users to do more with less fuel, the Patsari stove features multiple burning surfaces that allow users to cook many dishes simultaneously. 78% of users have confirmed that they can cook more food with less fuel!
- Good Health and Well-Being – As part of this project’s mission to provide households with a safer cooking method, the Patsari stove is designed to channel harmful particulate matter and toxins generated by cooking smoke outside of the home. This will significantly improve health and hygiene conditions for household members of all ages. 92% of stove users confirm less respiratory disease and improvement in hygiene.
- Affordable and Clean Energy – We recognized that clean energy and efficient technologies are inaccessible to most rural populations. The Patsari stove was developed to provide an efficient and clean way to sustainably meet the energy needs of each household.
- Decent Work and Economic Growth – This project has generated employment opportunities at both the supervisory office level and field level and employs local community members for promotion and construction needs. These jobs have increased access to viable employment, workforce development, and income generation. Specifically, this project has created 37 jobs for local community members.
- Sustainable Cities and Communities – Our team found that using solid fuels on inefficient technology is very common in rural communities and contributes to air pollution levels. The Patsari stove uses 50% less wood, successfully improving air quality and reducing particulate matter.
- Climate Action – To help these communities combat climate change, our stove was designed to provide solid fuelwood savings, reducing CO2 emissions. It is estimated that about 155,000 verified emission reductions will be issued during the first 5-year crediting period.
Using Carbon Credits to Support Community-Based Conservation
We have focused the efforts of our stove project in the area surrounding the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico where deforestation caused by the use of wood for cooking destroys the winter home of the monarch butterfly. Even small-scale tree removal for fuelwood affects the microclimate and the butterflies’ ability to survive storms. This disturbs the hibernation of millions of monarchs each year.
Carbon credits allow us to build more stoves, save more lives, protect more monarch habitats, and reduce more carbon emissions. Learn more about how our stoves support our focus on community-based conservation.
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