Cookstove projects are carbon projects that provide more efficient and cleaner stoves to households, reducing carbon emissions and indoor air pollution. These projects focus on replacing traditional open-fire cooking methods used by most rural communities with a more efficient stove that uses less woodfuel. These projects then generate cookstove carbon credits through the carbon emissions they avoid, which are purchased by companies that want to address their emissions and reach sustainability goals.
A close-up of a woman preparing a meal using an energy-efficient cookstove. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
But there are hundreds of cookstove projects in the market—so why choose DGB? What sets one cookstove project apart from another? This article explores these questions and highlights the importance of partnering with a trustworthy provider.
The carbon market has expanded significantly, allowing companies to compensate for their emissions by supporting projects like cookstove initiatives that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, not all cookstove carbon credits are created equal—their effectiveness depends on quality, verification, and long-term impact.
At DGB, we want to provide your business with the best carbon solutions that match your goals and values. Let’s take a look at what sets our cookstove projects apart, and why carbon credits (also called carbon units) from our projects are the best choice for managing your business’ carbon footprint.
What makes DGB’s cookstove projects stand out?
1. Verified and high-quality carbon credits
One of the biggest challenges in the carbon market is ensuring that credits represent real, measurable, and additional emission reductions. DGB’s cookstove projects meet international verification standards and are certified by the Gold Standard, ensuring full transparency and accountability. Our carbon credits are backed by rigorous methodologies, data monitoring, and third-party validation to ensure their effectiveness and impact.
2. A holistic approach: social and economic benefits
Many cookstove projects focus solely on carbon mitigation, but our approach extends beyond that. At DGB, we prioritise and involve local communities by creating jobs, improving livelihoods, and providing sustainable alternatives to harmful practices. This means businesses supporting our initiatives are not just compensating for their emissions—they are also investing in community development and long-term ecological resilience.
A drone photo of a local community during a cookstove distribution. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
3. Measurable environmental impact
Our cookstove projects cut firewood use significantly, directly reducing pressure on forests and slowing deforestation. By providing cleaner, more efficient alternatives, we help restore forests, protect vital ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity while lowering carbon emissions.
4. Direct access to cookstove credits
When you buy carbon credits from DGB, you’re purchasing directly from the project developer, not intermediaries. By cutting out the middleman, we maximise the impact of every credit, ensuring that more resources are directed toward project expansion, community support, and ecosystem restoration.
Additionally, you get full transparency. We provide regular updates on project progress, its impacts, and community benefits, giving you clear insights into how your credits are making a real difference. With DGB, you can be confident that your investment is driving genuine, long-term change.
Read more: Why we need to restore high-priority areas like Africa
A closer look at our cookstove projects
Let’s explore a powerful example of DGB’s impact-driven approach: the Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project in Kenya. This initiative manufactures and distributes 150,000 efficient cookstoves to rural households. It addresses multiple environmental and social challenges in one solution, tackling deforestation, air pollution, and social inequality.
A problem rooted in daily life
Three local women gathering dry wood in a forest.
Most Kenyan households are still cooking on traditional three-stone open firewood stoves. This requires women to walk to the forest at least 3 times a week in search of dry wood. As deforestation continues, they are forced to go deeper and deeper into the forest. This increased need for firewood along with cooking on open-fire stoves leads to:
- Deforestation, as households must collect increasing amounts of wood to sustain daily cooking needs.
- Severe indoor air pollution, with thick smoke affecting respiratory health—particularly for women and children. Household air pollution from these practices results in a premature mortality rate of an estimated four million people annually.
- Long and exhausting firewood collection trips, often forcing women to walk in the heat for over 4 kilometres, carrying up to 20 kg of wood.
- Limited time for education and economic activities, as firewood collection dominates daily routines.
Hongera cookstove project: Transforming homes, health, and habitats
Traditional open-fire cooking is a major driver of deforestation, household air pollution, and gender inequality in Kenya. The Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project solves these issues head-on by providing energy-efficient cookstoves to rural households, significantly reducing wood consumption and emissions while improving health and quality of life.
A DGB team member with the local community during cookstove training and distribution. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
Read more: DGB Group’s Hongera cookstoves: transforming homes, health, and habitats
Developed in collaboration with the Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, the Hongera cookstove is designed for efficiency, durability, and ease of use. Local artisans are trained in manufacturing techniques, ensuring that production supports the community. Each stove consists of a ceramic liner, made from locally sourced clay, and a metal shell, which provides durability. These components are assembled and distributed to households in need.
Local artisans during the work. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
The impact of Hongera cookstoves is immediate but also transformative in the long term with many additional benefits:
- Reduces firewood consumption from 10 kg per day to just 2.5 kg, easing pressure on forests.
- Saves women an average of 5.7 hours per week in gathering firewood, which can now be spent on their children’s education or other activities.
- Creates more disposable income that would otherwise be spent on purchasing additional firewood.
- Prepares meals twice as fast, allowing families to use time more efficiently.
- Cuts indoor air pollution drastically, improving respiratory health for women and children.
- Decreased CO₂ emissions, contributing to global sustainability goals.
Read more: Meet Kenya's green heroes: the team behind the Hongera projects
Scaling up impact
Manufacturing and distributing thousands of stoves requires local expertise and community engagement. The Hongera cookstove project is deeply rooted in local craftsmanship and employment. Artisans in Kirinyaga, Kenya, are trained to produce high-quality ceramic and metal components, creating both economic opportunities and environmental benefits.
Local men working in the cookstove factory. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
Each cookstove is assembled through a meticulous process, ensuring durability and long-term usability. Once ready, the stoves are transported to rural communities, where trained ambassadors conduct awareness campaigns and teach families how to maximise the cookstove’s benefits. This educational approach ensures long-term adoption, securing lasting positive outcomes for both households and the environment. DGB’s commitment doesn’t end with distribution. We provide ongoing training, support, and maintenance, ensuring that every cookstove remains functional for the long term. The Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project received its Gold Standard validation in May 2024.
Why businesses should invest in high-quality cookstove carbon credits
For businesses looking to compensate for their carbon footprint responsibly, DGB’s cookstove projects offer a unique combination of transparency, verified impact, and meaningful change. Investing in our nature-based solutions allows companies to:
- Effectively compensate for their unavoidable emissions.
- Ensure credibility by choosing internationally recognised, verified carbon credits.
- Improve reporting on sustainability and environmental accountability to stakeholders.
- Strengthen their brand by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.
- Make a measurable impact on nature and local communities.
As demand for high-integrity carbon credits continues to rise, businesses that prioritise early action and effective carbon management will lead the way in responsible corporate social responsibility.
Close-up of a DGB team member and a local woman during cookstoves distribution. Hongera Energy Efficient Cookstoves Project, DGB.
Read more: A firsthand look at our impact in Kenya
Join the movement towards lasting impact
DGB’s projects are designed to make a difference—not just in carbon reduction, but in protecting nature, improving the lives of many, and ensuring a sustainable future. Investing in cookstoves, reforestation, and other high-quality carbon initiatives allows businesses to be part of a global solution that balances ecological responsibility with long-term economic benefits.
Ready to balance your carbon footprint and support transformative projects? Contact us today to learn more about our verified carbon credits and how your company can join thousands of others in the movement towards sustainability.
