SolarAid generates first-ever Gold Standard carbon credits for Sub-Saharan Africa

A small but significant step was achieved on Friday 15 January when the Gold Standard (the world's highest quality mark for carbon credits) formally approved SolarAid's first 35 carbon credits for SolarAid's solar lamp replacement project in Malawi. Seventy more credits are on their way, with thousands more forecast over the coming years as we scale up.

We have been told that this is the first time the Gold Standard has approved carbon credits anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa - so we are pioneering the way ahead, even though it's a small number at the moment.

The Gold Standard is the most stringent approval process existing for the approval of carbon credits. Run by a coalition of more than 60 NGOs, it assesses carbon credits on the basis of CO2 reduction and grassroots development criteria.

The Gold Standard website is www.cdmgoldstandard.org.

Our project in Malawi involves scaling up a network of solar entrepreneurs who sell solar lamps in order to replace kerosene lamps. Our research shows that the average household in Malawi produces one tonne of CO2 every 14 years from the kerosene they consume for lighting. Hence replacing kerosene usage leads to reductions in CO2, which we monitor and verify in order to generate the carbon credits.

Please help SolarAid support Malawian entrepreneurs by making a donation here.