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Zambia and Switzerland have authorised a new mitigation activity that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while contributing to Zambia’s sustainable development and thereby contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is Switzerland’s first authorised activity in Zambia under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. The ‘BioLite Improved Cookstoves’ activity has been developed by BioLite and is financially supported by the KliK Foundation. By purchasing the resulting Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), the KliK Foundation is making the mitigation activity financially viable.
"This is a historic turning point in Zambia's journey toward a green economy. By issuing the first authorisation under our bilateral agreement with Switzerland, we are not just trading carbon cred-its; we are unlocking vital carbon finance that will create green jobs and build resilient communities. This milestone confirms Zambia’s position as a credible, high-integrity leader in the global carbon market and is the fruit of rigorous preparation and a testament to the strong partnership between Zambia and Switzerland."
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 of households, 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.
Zambia is proactively addressing its climate and energy goals, notably in the clean cooking sector. The country's National Energy Compact and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Action Agenda set an ambitious target to significantly increase access to clean cooking solutions from approximately 8.9% to 40% of the population by 2030. This commitment is directly reflected in Zambia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and specifically targets the reduction of deforestation associated with the prevalent use of charcoal and fuel-wood by promoting alternative and efficient cooking solutions. The proposed mitigation activity, which involves the mass dissemination of Improved Cookstoves (ICS), directly contributes to achieving this target by implementing efficient cooking solutions.
"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."
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Crucially, the distribution of these cookstoves by BioLite and their local distribution partners is a voluntary initiative that is not legally mandated by any existing Zambian regulatory framework. Therefore, the mitigation activity represents a regulatory surplus, and the resulting emission reductions are deemed additional to the country's reference development pathway.
The activity is financially enabled through the carbon revenue generated from the sale of ITMOs to the KliK Foundation. These revenues subsidise stove costs, making them accessible to households that would otherwise be unable to afford clean cooking solutions. KliK Foundations support is essential, as the activity would be financially unviable without carbon finance, and upfront capital for manufacturing, distribution, and monitoring would not be available.
"It is truly remarkable that this first Article 6.2 activity under the bilateral Switzerland-Zambia climate agreement has advanced from development and validation to authorisation in such a short period of time. I hope it will be widely embraced by the population, enabling delivery of substantial emission reductions while also generating meaningful benefits for local communities."
The Government of Zambia has identified carbon finance in its current Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as an opportunity to catalyse investment in mitigation activities that facilitate the achievement of its NDCs and general transition to a low carbon economy. The Government of Zambia has made tremendous strides in its preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation under the Paris Agreement. By publishing its National Carbon Market Framework in January 2025, Zambia laid the groundwork for participation in international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Supported by the Green Economy and Climate Change Act (2024) and the Carbon Market Regulations (2026), the framework establishes the regulatory basis for approving mitigation activities, operating the National Carbon Registry (officially launched on 7 August 2026), and transferring emission reductions internationally.
In November 2025, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Swiss Federal Council signed a bilateral climate agreement to cooperate on reducing greenhouse gas emissions under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Belém, Brazil.
The activity delivers benefits that go well beyond carbon reduction. It improves daily life by significantly reducing harmful indoor air pollution and by reducing time spent collecting firewood and cooking. This enables women, who predominantly perform these tasks in the household, to engage in productive, educational, and income-generating activities. The activity also generates employment opportunities across the value chain, including roles in marketing, distribution, and technical support.
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