News

London – Gunvor Group, a leading global energy commodities trading company, announces that it has received the first issuance of credits from its cookstove project in Sierra Leone. The credits are eligible for the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). 

The cookstove project, which is implemented by DelAgua, has distributed 250,000 fuel-efficient stoves to households across seven districts in Sierra Leone: Koinadungu, Moyamba, Kenema, Bo, Tonkolili, Kambia and Western Rural. Along with the stove, each household receives one-on-one education on the health and environmental benefits of clean cooking. They also receive ongoing support during the stove’s 10-year lifespan, delivered by a local network of over 1,600 youth ambassadors by DelAgua, providing valuable employment and skills training. 

“Gunvor believes that investing in cookstove projects is one of the most impactful carbon credit opportunities; they deliver measurable emissions reductions while simultaneously improving health, reducing deforestation, and supporting local livelihoods in vulnerable communities,” said Darren Gurner, Head of Voluntary Carbon at Gunvor. “With CORSIA, we have further strengthened the credibility of our Sierra Leone program by aligning with a rigorous, internationally recognized framework backed by the aviation sector and overseen by global regulatory standards.”

CORSIA provides airlines and other aviation sector participants with an internationally-recognized framework through which they can meet their emissions reduction obligations. In line with CORSIA requirements, the project has secured a Letter of Authorisation (LoA) from the Government of Sierra Leone. The projects first small issuance has received the CORSIA tag through insurance, ensuring full alignment with CORSIA eligibility requirements and providing enhanced confidence for buyers.

One major benefit of cookstoves is that they use significantly less wood than traditional cooking methods, so fewer trees are felled. The project also has significant health benefits from reduced smoke in the cooking process as well as time saving: people do not have to spend time and money collecting firewood, and cooking times are quicker.

DelAgua’s CEO, Euan McDougall, said, “We believe that no rural household should be left behind in the global transition to clean cooking. Our Live Well project empowers communities through access to clean cooking, while delivering credible and measurable high-quality climate outcomes and so can  contribute meaningfully to the global aviation sector’s climate commitments. We are proud to partner with Gunvor to extend this programme to 250,000 households across Sierra Leone, transforming more than two million lives.” 

The carbon credits are now available for purchase through Gunvor’s carbon trading desk, with future issuances from later this year being sold on a pre-issuance basis.

Gunvor has recently started work on two further cookstove projects, one in Sri Lanka and the second, again with DelAgua, in The Gambia. In addition, it is funding a forest planting project in Colombia, from which carbon credits will be available in 2026, as well as working on a number of other projects which are at different stages of the investment process

About Gunvor Group 
Gunvor Group is one of the world’s largest independent commodities trading houses by turnover, creating logistics solutions that safely and efficiently move physical energy and bulk materials from where they are sourced and stored to where they are demanded most. Gunvor has strategic investments in industrial infrastructure – refineries, pipelines, storage and terminals – that complement our core trading activity and generate sustainable value across the global supply chain for our customers. Further information can be found at www.gunvorgroup.com.

About DelAgua
DelAgua is a social enterprise with more than a decade of experience implementing large-scale carbon development projects that transform the lives of rural households in Least Developed Countries across Africa. The Live Well programme exclusively targets rural communities who are otherwise unable to afford the transition to clean cooking. To date, DelAgua has distributed more than 2 million stoves across Rwanda, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. The cookstove distributed by DelAgua is the world’s most fuel-efficient, advanced wood fuel stove. It reduces wood consumption by 71% compared to 3-stone cooking methods and produces 81% fewer emissions than an open fire delivering multiple health, climate, gender and economic benefits for people and the environment.

For more information, please contact [email protected]