Efficient and Clean Cooking for households in Kenya

The Kuniokoa stove achieves a thermal efficiency of 51%, dramatically reducing firewood consumption per household, using 71% less wood. By displacing non-renewable woody biomass combustion in inefficient open fires, the project generates verified emission reductions against a conservative set of parameters. In its first monitoring period alone, the project achieved 82,660 tCO2e in verified emission reductions. 

The project saved 47,799 tonnes of non-renewable biomass in its first monitoring period, delivering a measurable contribution to halting the deforestation and land degradation driven by fuelwood harvesting. With a crediting period from 2022-2027 and the option to renew beyond, the project delivers sustained, long-term climate impact at scale across Kenya.

The widespread adoption of highly efficient cookstoves directly reduces pressure on Kenya's forests and woodland ecosystems. The project's fuelwood savings translate into reduced deforestation and land degradation: in the first monitoring period alone, nearly 48,000 tonnes of non-renewable biomass were preserved that would otherwise have been harvested and combusted. This contributes tangibly to halting deforestation in the project's operating areas across 24 Kenyan counties.

The combustion of biomass in inefficient open fires also generates black carbon, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and carbon monoxide — pollutants that damage both human health and local air quality. By displacing these fires with a significantly cleaner-burning stove technology across more than 100,000 active households, the project contributes to improved air quality at the community level, benefiting both people and the natural environment.

The project delivers direct and measurable improvements to the lives of rural Kenyan households, the majority of whom are women who bear the primary burden of cooking and firewood collection. 100% of surveyed households reported improved perceived air quality since adopting the Kuniokoa stove. Households reported average time savings of 35 minutes per day in cooking time and 16 minutes per day in firewood collection, time that can be redirected towards education, income generation, or family life. 62% of surveyed households reported meaningful monetary savings on firewood expenditure compared to their prior baseline.

The project has created 195 local jobs and trained 226 people in skills development during its first monitoring period, contributing to livelihoods and capacity in rural Kenya. Carbon revenues are used to subsidise stove costs, making clean cooking technology accessible to households who would otherwise be unable to afford it. The project's end-user engagement programme,  including market activations, household follow-up visits, multilingual warranty booklets, and social media outreach, ensures sustained adoption and correct use across all 24 countries of distribution.