Government Client: Government of Norway

Two workers in a bright industrial workshop operate machinery; the foreground shows a smiling person wearing safety goggles and a dark blue uniform, while another worker works at a machine in the background amid metal shelving, tools, and equipment.

The Norwegian Government's Carbon Emissions Initiative

The Norwegian government aims to cut its carbon emissions by 30% compared to 1990, with the goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. Climate Impact Partners identified a clean cookstove project that could meet Norway’s requirements for carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and helped to improve and scale up the project to maximize its effectiveness.

About the client

Nearly 98% of Norway’s electricity comes from renewable sources, and the forests that cover around one third of the country capture some of its carbon emissions. However, the country is keen to reduce its carbon footprint further by addressing emissions from its oil and gas industries.

Keen to show climate responsibility, the government approached Climate Impact Partners to help it meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations through large-scale climate and development projects.

What we did

We worked closely with representatives of the Norwegian government to understand their exact needs, before choosing a suitable clean cooking project in Kenya.

By selling efficient, affordable clean cookstoves to families in developing communities, the initiative cuts carbon and transforms lives. We restructured the project so that the carbon credits it generated could be sold on the compliance market as Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). Then we made accurate predictions of the volume of carbon credits available to the Norwegian government and arranged for them to buy 1.5 million CERs over four years.

Smiling person wearing a purple top with a large white floral design, an orange and teal head wrap, and an orange patterned wrap, holding a black kitchen appliance. — The market leading Burn Jikokoa cookstove supported by the offsetting program

Climate Impact Partners continues to take an active role in the project, creating markets, testing the stoves, and ensuring it continues to deliver maximum carbon reductions.

What positive outcomes did we deliver?

The Norwegian government has taken steps towards reducing the country’s carbon emissions using CERs from the project. At the same time, they created long-term, sustainable income for the project in Kenya, so it can scale up its activities and continue to thrive.

The project is not just cutting carbon emissions. Because the stoves use 50% less charcoal, they help to conserve Kenya’s forests while protecting families from smoky fumes in the home. They also free up income for children’s healthcare and education, as they save the average household up to $250 a year.

Norway has made bold commitments to cutting its carbon footprint, in line with our own ambitions and the goals of the Paris Agreement. We know we can rely on Climate Impact Partners to recommend high quality CDM-compliant climate and development projects that will accelerate our journey towards climate neutrality.