• Gold Standard certified the first African carbon credits eligible for the aviation offset scheme CORSIA.

• The credits come from Hestian’s clean cooking program, which distributes improved stoves in Malawi.

• Over 1.5 million credits were validated, marking a milestone for Africa’s carbon market integration.

Gold Standard announced on November 5 that it has, for the first time, certified African carbon credits as eligible under the international aviation emissions offset mechanism, CORSIA. These credits were generated through a clean cooking program in Malawi implemented by the company Hestian.

The initiative, known as the Biomass Energy Conservation Programme, provides locally produced improved cookstoves designed to reduce firewood use and harmful smoke emissions. The project also helps save time for women and children, who are often responsible for collecting firewood. More than 1.5 million credits from this program have been identified as eligible for CORSIA’s first compliance phase.

This milestone represents a major step forward for Africa, demonstrating the ability of a country to participate in Paris Agreement mechanisms and access climate finance. Ahead of the certification, the Malawian government submitted a report under Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), applying the corresponding adjustments for the certified credits.

According to Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim, the certification shows how climate policy can deliver tangible results on the ground. Hestian’s representative, Conor Fox, welcomed the move as a precedent that could attract crucial financing for clean cooking initiatives across Africa.

The announcement comes as Africa’s carbon market continues to develop around international standards. Following Ghana, which sold transferable credits to Switzerland under Article 6, Malawi now joins the continent’s early participants in a compliance-based mechanism.

This achievement also demonstrates that African projects can now access credible carbon finance sources capable of sustainably supporting national clean energy policies, particularly in the area of clean cooking.