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BIOGAS AND BIOETHANOL Biogas and bioethanol are clean and renewable energy sources that have provid- ed solutions for 10 percent of those who gained access to clean cooking over the last decade. 75 These options often attract less attention by policy-makers and in- vestors, given their relatively niche application. However, they offer a viable op- tion that should be considered as part of the clean cooking package (see Box 4). Biogas is a renewable energy source produced from the breakdown of organic matter (e.g., animal or human waste or agricultural residue) by anaerobic bacteria in a biodigester. As a clean cooking fuel it offers a number of additional benefits, including improved waste management, mitigated emissions (capturing methane released from the decomposition of biomass) and by-products that can be used for fertilizer or compost. 76
People with access to clean cooking using
biogas and bioethanol: 10 %
BOX 4: DOMESTIC BIOGAS – NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKETS
Recent advancements in technology for measuring the performance of biodigesters (systems that bi- ologically digest organic material) has opened up new opportunities for biogas programs to gain car- bon credits. Worldwide, more than 200 clean cook- ing activities have been certified by a carbon stand- ard – primarily the Gold Standard. One of the most widely respected carbon standards available on the market, the Gold Standard was established in 2003 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other international NGOs to ensure that projects that reduce carbon emissions meet the highest lev- els of environmental integrity and also contribute to
sustainable development. Today, domestic biogas programs represent over four-fifths of all registered clean cooking projects in the voluntary carbon mar- ket, a mechanism that gives companies, govern- ments and individuals the opportunity to buy and sell carbon offset credits. China and India alone are responsible for 80 percent of these projects, with Nepal, Kenya and Tanzania also active in the area. Domestic biogas projects can achieve emission re- ductions from both fuel switching and improved manure/organic material management. This means that they tend to generate more carbon credits per installation than other clean cooking technologies. 77
75 International Energy Agency (2023) A Vision for Clean Cooking Access for All, World Energy Outlook Special Report, https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/f63eebbc-a3df-4542-b2fb-364dd66a2199/ AVisionforCleanCookingAccessforAll.pdf 76 IRENA (2023) Advancing renewables-based clean cooking solutions: key messages and outcomes, https:// www.irena.org/Publications/2024/Mar/Advancing-renewables-based-clean-cooking-solutions-Key-messages- and-outcomes 77 Galt, H., Mikolajczyk, S., Long, I., Della Maggiore, M., Bravo, F., & Tierney, M. (2023). “The Role of Voluntary Carbon Markets in Clean Cooking”. Climate Focus and the Modern Energy Cooking Services Programme, https://mecs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FINAL-The-Role-of-Voluntary-Carbon-Markets-in-Clean- Cooking-17-April-2023-with-photo-accreditation.pdf
3. CLEAN COOKING SOLUTIONS
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