Key figures of the climate change mitigation activitiy
BioLite
Republic of Zambia, rural areas
Low-income households in rural Zambia relying on wood for cooking; women and children; local workers
In development
Zambia faces significant challenges related to energy poverty, deforestation, and indoor air pollution, with over 80% of households relying primarily on traditional solid fuels, including three-stone fires and other inefficient cooking methods. These rudimentary practices contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions and have adverse impacts on the health and well-being, especially of women and children.
To address these challenges, the mitigation activity involves the dissemination of improved biomass cookstoves (ICS) to households currently using traditional cooking methods. The ICS model proposed under the activity has been widely implemented across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Dura Stove is a wood-burning stove that reduces fuel and emissions by approximately 65% for end users compared to baseline technologies. BioLite Carbon SPV 2 will serve as the activity owner, with distribution carried out through local partners in Zambia.
The activity is financially enabled through carbon revenue generated from the sale of ITMOs to the KliK Foundation. These revenues subsidize stove costs, making them accessible to households that would otherwise be unable to afford clean cooking solutions. KliK Foundations support is essential, as the project would be financially unviable without carbon finance, and upfront capital for manufacturing, distribution, and monitoring would not be available.
The project is not included in Zambia’s unconditional NDC, and the resulting emission reductions will not be claimed by the Government of Zambia.
"Across rural Zambia, most households still rely on smoky open fires for daily cooking, with significant impacts on health and the climate. The 163,500 improved cookstoves to be deployed under this activity will reduce deforestation and disease, reduce time spent collecting fuel, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and create cleaner, safer homes. This large-scale impact is made possible through the partnership with the KliK Foundation, our investor AGG, our local Zambia distribution partners, and the Government of Zambia."
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ICS deliver multiple co-benefits to end-user households:
Time savings: Reduced time spent collecting firewood and cooking enables women who predominantly perform these tasks to engage in productive, educational, and income-generating activities.
Health benefits: Lower indoor air pollution reduces the risk of respiratory and other health issues.
Forest conservation: Decreased demand for firewood contributes to reduced deforestation and forest degradation.
Women’s empowerment: Women engaged in the distribution and training of ICS gain access to employment opportunities and improved livelihoods.
The project also incorporates capacity building through the training of personnel involved in stove distribution and monitoring. These efforts strengthen local technical capacity and support long-term project sustainability. It also generates employment opportunities across the value chain, including roles in marketing, distribution, and technical support.
Overall, the activity contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).