Gathering from studies done by FAO, Forest Resource Assessment 1990, Kenya is classified among the countries with low forest cover of less than 2% of the total land area. Forests are a vital resource supporting the livelihoods of rural communities in Kenya. In spite of this significant role, human activities have put increased pressure on… Read the full article >
Costly Smoke
According to WHO indoor smoke from coal, wood or dung – used as cooking fuel by more than 3 billion people worldwide – ranks ahead of unsafe water as a cause of death in low- and middle-income countries. Almost 2 million deaths a year are caused by cooking smoke, which is linked to pneumonia in… Read the full article >
Not Just About Cooking!!!!
Cooking on a three stone stove is the cheapest way to prepare food in many parts of the world. This is because to assemble a three stone stove you only require three suitable stones of the same height on which a cooking pot is balanced over a fire. That’s how cheap the stove is. This… Read the full article >
Gold Standard visiting our Cookstoves Projects in Rwanda
In my last blog, I mentioned that our Rwanda cookstove and borehole projects had been selected by the Gold Standard to be part of a new video showcasing the multiple sustainable development benefits of Gold Standard certified projects. It is with great pleasure that we share with you a few photos from Gold Standard’s visit… Read the full article >
New VCS Issuance – Kenya Cookstoves
CO2Balance successfully issued over 50,000 VERs under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) for its efficient cookstove projects located in the constituencies of Mathira and Eldoret East, and Keiyo District. Six years after the initial distribution of efficient cook stoves in these areas, the projects continue operating well, with 97% of stoves continuing to be used…. Read the full article >
The Joy of Cooking Together….
Carbon Zero Kenya Limited though not so pronounced remains a huge player in environmental conservation initiatives in Africa for instance considering its efforts to combat effects of climate change in Kenya. Over the past few years Carbon Zero has helped install over 65,000 cook stoves in the country which have gone a long way in… Read the full article >
Progress in Eritrea
Since the beginning of our work in Eritrea, working together with our project partner we have moved quickly to develop a number of fantastic community-led projects across the country. Early this year, the team completed their work guiding local communities in building sustainable improved cook stoves. More than 3600 stoves have been constructed in less… Read the full article >
Successful Issuance – Rwandan Cookstove Project
It is never late to share good news: we have issued over 30,000 credits from our Rwandan cookstove projects last December! It was the second issuance for the GS1267 which was the our first project to be implemented in Rwanda. The cookstoves in that specific VPA have been operational since early 2014 and are still in… Read the full article >
Toshiba and CO2balance – Partners for Sustainable Development
Since 2009, Toshiba TEC, a global leader in manufacturing printers and other electronic devices, has been partnering with CO2balance to deliver the Carbon Zero Scheme. Through this scheme, the company offsets the CO2 emissions caused by its production and distribution of Multi-Function Printers by supporting rural communities in Kenya to access fuel-efficient cookstoves and repairing… Read the full article >
Successful First Issuance of West Kisumu Small-scale Cookstoves Project in Kenya
This week at Co2balance we have had some good news for our improved cookstoves project in West Kisumu: it was issued for the first time since its implementation in 2011! Over the course of the project, we distributed more than 1500 stoves to rural communities in the region. This was achieved through a collaboration with… Read the full article >
Eritrea site visit
This month I was lucky enough to be able to visit the fantastic projects that are being implemented in partnership with Vita, an Irish NGO. Vita are working with communities across the country to build capacity and work towards sustainable livelihoods, building efficient cook stoves and rehabilitating non-functioning boreholes. Below are a selection of photos… Read the full article >
Empower a Woman; Empower the World!
While most governments in Africa acknowledge that empowering women and girls is a key contributor to economic development little as been done to achieve this noble goal. In Kenya women are the backbone of the rural economy. Nevertheless they receive only a fraction of the resources geared at ending poverty i.e. land, credit, inputs (such… Read the full article >
Stroke of Luck for Rural Women in Kenya
Worldwide demand for energy to meet social and economic development and improve human welfare and health has been on the increase over the years. This has attracted many versions of energy efficient technologies springing up with an overall objective to save planet Earth. Carbon Zero Kenya Ltd has remained a key player in the fight… Read the full article >
Training and Maintenance in Rwanda
As part of the continuous input mechanism, at Co2balance we closely monitor and regularly discuss the feedback of our stakeholders in the countries we operate. Following such discussions with our field team in Rwanda, we have come to the conclusion that currently there is an additional need for training on stove operations and replacement of… Read the full article >
Cooking with a Difference
Our initial baseline findings before starting off the improved cook stove project in Kisumu East indicated that people are more than willing to shift from using traditional cook stoves to using improved cook stoves only if they perceive a genuine utility value in adopting the improved cook stove. The success of improved cook stoves depends… Read the full article >