Myanmar Cookstoves

Myanmar

Fuel-efficient Cookstoves

Based in Myanmar, this project works to provide fuel efficient stoves to replace traditional wood-burning stoves. Myanmar is the third largest contributor to deforestation worldwide. As the forests disappear, the price of wood gets higher, driving more and more families into energy poverty. Cutting expenditures on wood makes a huge difference to families already living in poverty, and reducing the time needed to forage for wood means more time to spend on smallholdings and on securing a good harvest. Rural families in Myanmar spend as much as 40% of their income—or the time equivalent—on purchasing or collecting firewood. The 36,000 fuel efficient stoves sold to date have improved the lives of over 165,000 people. Traditional stoves contribute to air pollution both outside and inside the home and can cause illness to those that live there. Air pollution from domestic cooking is responsible for the premature deaths of over 4 million people a year—more than HIV Aids and malaria combined. Each cookstove reduces wood consumption by at least 50%, reducing both pressure on forests and household expenditure on fuel. Air pollution is reduced by 80%, improving the health and safety of the whole community. Carbon emissions are reduced by 60%, or 4 tons per year, per stove.

Impact

50%

Reduction in wood consumption

80%

Reduction in air pollution

4

Metric tons of carbon is reduced per stove per year

Benefits

Reduces the reliance on wood for cooking which helps the forest and helps families save money.
Results in less illness and death from breathing in polluted air by reducing wood-burning in the home.
Lowers carbon emissions by 60% per stove annually, which comes out to 4 tons per year per stove.

Photos

Verifications

Gold Standard was established in 2003 to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions featured the highest levels of environmental integrity and also contributed to sustainable development. With the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, they launched a best practice standard for climate and sustainable development interventions, Gold Standard for the Global Goals, to maximise impact, creating value for people around the world and the planet we share.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Economic growth that must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.
Good health and well-being, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development. This project promotes healthier lives by reducing the amount of harmful toxins emitted from traditional wood-burning stoves.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
Goal energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity.
Sustainable economic growth will require societies to create the conditions that allow people to have quality jobs.
Climate change is a global challenge that affects everyone, everywhere. This project reduces the amount of carbon produced from traditional wood-burning stoves which in turn helps fight climate change.
Sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss. This project helps lessen the dependence on wood which helps fight deforestation.