In a major shift for carbon finance, 100% of the electric cookstoves deployed through UpEnergy's Beyond Biomass program, which are fully aligned with Gold Standard's new methodology, now have the ability to track usage in real time, providing an unprecedented level of accuracy for clean cooking projects.
KAMPALA, Uganda, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- UpEnergy, a social enterprise dedicated to channeling climate finance to fight energy poverty through decarbonization projects, today announced the issuance of the first-ever electric cooking carbon credits in Africa using as part of its Beyond Biomass program. This approach quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions through real-time measurement of energy consumption, providing an unprecedented level of accuracy and transparency.
UpEnergy's first issuances under this methodology will take place in Tanzania and Uganda, with Ghana and Zambia planned for future expansion. The electric pressure cookers under this metered methodology are designed specifically for African homes, featuring a bespoke interface tailored to local dishes and providing families with economic and health benefits by reducing indoor air pollution associated with traditional cooking methods. By equipping these cookers with integrated sensors for continuous monitoring, the program ensures precise tracking of real-time usage, setting a new standard for emissions verification in clean cooking projects.
The Beyond Biomass program, certified by Gold Standard (GS12082 in Tanzania and GS11579 in Uganda), is projected to distribute 250,000 metered clean cookstoves by 2028, with 10,000 units already deployed. The initiative is expected to generate a supply of Verified Emission Reduction (VER) credits from Tanzania and Uganda over the next decade, improving the lives of more than 1 million people.
Beyond emissions reductions, UpEnergy's program delivers tangible household benefits. Cooking time decreases by up to 37 minutes per day, returning over 9 days' worth of time annually to users, predominantly women, who typically bear the burden of cooking. Households in Tanzania and Uganda also save an estimated $0.26 and $0.51 per day, respectively, by switching away from charcoal. Additionally, the program has created over 180 local direct and indirect jobs, contributing to economic development in these communities.
"At UpEnergy, quality and transparency are the cornerstones of our mission, reflected in everything we do — from developing the right technology to distribution, user engagement, and continuous monitoring," said Mitch Sauers, CEO of UpEnergy. "By investing heavily in digital monitoring, we continue to uphold and elevate the highest standards of carbon credit integrity that the market demands."
The latest electric cookers are equipped with integrated sensors that track real-time consumption data, storing usage information for up to 13 months. This allows for precise comparisons with baseline stoves and fuels while capturing behavioral data on cooking modes, dish types, and durations. In addition, UpEnergy is investing in technology to measure indoor air quality, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide concentrations, enabling a deeper understanding of health impacts and reinforcing data-driven approaches to cleaner cooking solutions.
Today's news is another significant step forward after UpEnergy's 2024 that it had issued the world's first-ever carbon credits linked to emissions savings from the use of electric clean cooking devices. The emissions reductions were created in a new UpEnergy-led project aimed at replacing traditional, biomass burning stoves with electric stoves created by climate tech startup. The credits, verified by Gold Standard, support households in Africa transitioning from biomass-burning stoves to cleaner, zero-emissions electric cooking, reducing indoor air pollution and improving health outcomes for those with access to electricity.
"Our commitment to integrity extends beyond electric cooking to our fuel-efficient cookstoves, where we are advancing temperature sensors for precise usage data collection. Through all of this, our goal remains the same: to drive decarbonization in the Global South while supporting a just energy transition — ensuring our projects not only deliver measurable climate benefits but also create meaningful improvements for the communities we serve," said Sauers.
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