Verra has issued corrections and clarifications (PDF) applicable to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Methodology VM0050 Energy Efficiency and Fuel-Switch Measures in Cookstoves, v1.0. The corrections and clarifications are effective as of February 3, 2025.
Released in October 2024, VM0050 is a comprehensive and robust new methodology that provides a high-integrity approach to quantifying emission reductions from energy efficiency and fuel-switch measures (i.e., involving the replacement of fossil fuels and non-renewable biomass) in cookstoves.
The document includes eight clarifications, which pertain to the following:
- Quantification guidance related to cross-checks of parameters and Water Boiling Tests (WBTs) and Controlled Cooking Tests (CCTs)
- Instituting a two-tiered capped approach for usage rates when they are determined using project surveys
- Monitoring/measurement requirements for various parameters that are monitored and available at validation
- More clarity for characterizing stove condition (i.e., whether it is in good operational state or not) during project surveys
It also includes a correction, which changes the frequency of follow-up baseline surveys to every five years (at most) rather than two years. This approach reflects best practices in this space and has gained acceptance amongst a variety of key stakeholders.
These changes have been made to more closely align the methodology with the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) assessment framework published by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM). They also increase alignment between VM0050 and the Comprehensive Lowered Emissions Assessment and Reporting (CLEAR) Methodology for Cooking Energy Transitions (external), which has been developed by the Clean Cooking Alliance-led Clean Cooking and Climate Consortium and which was released in December 2024.
The corrections and clarifications will be incorporated into the next version of the methodology.