Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM) has announced a pilot carbon offsetting project in Laos that aims to tackle health and environmental issues by utilizing e-cookstove technology. Developed by Australian company ATEC, these e-cookstoves use data-verified, Gold Standard carbon credits to ensure accuracy and integrity in calculating carbon offsets. The cookstoves eliminate the need for Laotian families to cook with wood, reducing deforestation and carbon emissions, while also improving people’s health. They are 100% smoke-free, reducing the risk of fires, burns, and gas leaks. Household air pollution caused by cooking over open fires or crude wood-burning cookstoves is the leading health risk in Laos, resulting in an estimated 3.2 million deaths in 2020, according to the World Health Organization.
The pilot project will involve TEM distributing e-cookstoves in Savanakhet Province and evaluating their impact on offsetting timber and charcoal burning, indoor air quality, and nutrition and economic factors. Upon the successful completion of the pilot project by the end of 2023, TEM plans to distribute up to 200,000 e-cookstoves across Laos, avoiding over 6 million tonnes of CO2 over 10 years and providing significant health benefits. The project also aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
TEM’s CEO, Jessica Dwyer, emphasized the project’s commitment to integrity and its positive impact on climate change and health outcomes in Laos. TEM’s Managing Director, APAC, David Tow, highlighted the project’s potential to address climate change issues and elevate the health benefits that cookstoves can bring.
This initiative by TEM and ATEC showcases the potential of e-cookstove technology in addressing health and environmental challenges. By promoting clean and efficient cooking methods, this project aims to improve air quality, reduce deforestation, and mitigate carbon emissions. If successful, it could serve as a model for similar projects in other regions facing similar issues.
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