Carbon Offsetting for your Business
Directly from the people creating the carbon offsets.
Concerned about climate change? More and more businesses are working to care for our planet in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. For those unavoidable carbon emissions, many are turning to carbon offsets as a way to counteract their business’s emissions by reducing CO2 elsewhere. Find out how you can do the same by purchasing quality offsets created through our CDM registered fuel-efficient cookstove project.
Benefits to your company
- You are demonstrating your commitment to the environment to your customers and employees.
- Our fuel-efficient cookstoves are monitored, independently audited and certified by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- We provide you with regular stories about how your company is making a positive difference through our carbon offsetting project.
It is not only your business that benefits
Not only can we help your business become carbon negative but by playing your part to address climate change, you help families in Malawi too.
We work with 47,000 families who each have a fuel-efficient cookstove. There is a benefit to you, your business, the planet and their lives also.
It is not only your business that benefits
Not only can we help your business become carbon negative but by playing your part to address climate change, you help families in Malawi too.
We work with 47,000 families who each have a fuel-efficient cookstove. There is a benefit to you, your business, the planet and their lives also.
Every business has a carbon footprint
To offset the unavoidable carbon emissions of your business, our fuel-efficient cookstove project provides real and quality carbon offsets.
Each fuel-efficient cookstove reduces household wood use from three bundles of wood per week to just one saving three tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year.
Inspiring communities to value and conserve forests
Our simple fuel-efficient cookstoves are a simple solution to protecting trees. They only use one third of the firewood compared to traditional cooking methods.
This reduces the pressure on existing forests. Every week, our fuel-efficient cookstoves save 94,000 bundles of firewood.
Inspiring communities to value and conserve forests
Our simple fuel-efficient cookstoves are a simple solution to protecting trees. They only use one third of the firewood compared to traditional cooking methods.
This reduces the pressure on existing forests. Every week, our fuel-efficient cookstoves save 94,000 bundles of firewood.
Stamp of Approval
Our fuel-efficient cookstoves are regularly monitored, independently audited and verifiable. They are registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), operated and administered by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We have applied the rigorous CDM Standard to our activities, to measure our progress and demonstrate accountability and transparency.
See how it works and take action
See how it works
Choose how you offset
If you already know how much your business needs to offset, then you can buy today. Aren’t sure? We can provide you with a quote tailored specifically to your business, as well as a carbon offsetting certificate and monthly invoice.
Tree Planting, Forest Conservation and Carbon Offsetting
Our tree planting and forest conservation is NOT a verified carbon offsetting project but many people have asked us how much carbon would they be offsetting by planting trees with us in Malawi. A realistic starting point is that one tree absorbs about one tonne of CO2 over a lifetime of 100 years – that is an average of 10 kg per year.
For our calculation, we are taking the life of the tree as 10 years although it will be considerably longer than that. This would mean that, over the 10 year period, one tree would absorb 100 kg of CO2 and so 10 trees would absorb one tonne of CO2.
In addition to this, for every tree that is planted we are protecting, on average, three indigenous trees through our Forest Conservation Committees. Contact us for more information.
Your Questions Answered
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Why is this carbon project important?
Ripple Africa’s founders didn’t start the project just to sell carbon offsets – the primary goal was to improve the lives of local people in Malawi and protect the remaining forests.
It is one thing to provide a householder with a cookstove and hope they will use it. However, our experience has shown that long-term commitment and building relationships with the community is key to a project’s success. Ripple Africa doesn’t build the stove and walk away but works with households to deliver the long-term education which will ensure the stove will be used for life.
We are proud that more than 250,000 people have their food cooked every day on our Changu Changu Moto fuel-efficient cookstove in Nkhata Bay District. This equates to a savings of 94,000 bundles of wood every week. This new cooking technology is becoming a way of life and communities in neighboring Districts want to benefit from this improved cooking method which makes their lives easier and reduces deforestation.
Our carbon offsetting program also help funds other Ripple Africa projects so that we can provide the long-term commitment that is needed to make a positive and lasting difference in Malawi. We reinvest the carbon offsetting income to build more cookstoves, plant trees and conserve existing forests.
Offsetting your unavoidable emissions through our cookstove project is a great solution which benefits the environment and families in Malawi.
How much carbon does my company need to offset?
Our simple plans are based on the number of employees multiplied by 3 tonnes per year.
Simple Calculation
Obviously different companies and employees have different carbon footprints. For example, your company could employ a small number of people in an office with little or no travelling, no deliveries, and no manufacturing. This would probably equate to approximately 3 tonnes per employee. However, if there are many staff members who travel by air and/or car, our you have a business that includes deliveries, the total could be 5 tonnes per employee – and more if manufacturing is involved.
Do It Yourself Footprint Calculator
Use the guidelines given above to estimate your business’s footprint. Or, we also have a downloadable spreadsheet that will help to more precisely determine your company’s carbon footprint: Do it Yourself footprint calculator
Calculating reducing and offsetting
If you would like a full audit of your carbon footprint and calculations on what your company needs to offset to reach your Net Zero goal, we can help! We can even give suggestions for how to reduce your company’s emissions overall.. To find out more, please contact us
Can you tell me more about the cookstove project?
Ripple Africa is helping local communities to build fuel-efficient cookstoves in Malawi, Africa. Ripple Africa’s fuel-efficient cookstove is called the “Changu Changu Moto” which means “Fast Fast Fire” in Chichewa.
The Changu Changu Moto:
- Reduces household wood use from three bundles of wood per week to just one
- Contains the fire within the cookstove at the side of the kitchen, reducing injuries from burns
- Has a double burner so that two pots can be cooked simultaneously , saving time
- Produces substantially less smoke than the traditional three-stone fire, reducing coughing and breathing problems
- Is LOVED by all the women who use it!
The Changu Changu Moto is a sustainable and locally produced fuel-efficient cookstove made out of just 26 mud bricks and a mud mortar mix.The householder is empowered to build and maintain their cookstove, making this project sustainable.
Ripple Africa has worked with several types of fuel-efficient cookstoves over the years; however, we firmly believe the Changu Changu Moto is the most realistic and aptly suited fuel-efficient cookstove design for rural Africa we have ever seen.
The project goals are as follows:
- Tackling deforestation in Malawi – Around 95% of families in Malawi depend on wood for cooking and millions of trees are cut down every year for use on inefficient traditional three-stone open fires. This Changu Changu Moto project has resulted in 80,000 fewer bundles of firewood being needed EVERY WEEK, reducing household wood use by 67%.
- Improving the health of women and children – According to the World Health Organization (2018), close to four million people die prematurely each year from illnesses related to smoke inhalation from inefficient cooking methods. The Changu Changu Moto produces less smoke, thus reducing smoke inhalation by people cooking or sitting around the fire. Also, Malawian women traditionally prepare food with their children playing nearby. Sixty percent of households consulted by Ripple Africa reported that a member of their family had sustained serious burns from a traditional three-stone cooking fire. The Changu Changu Moto’s fire is contained, greatly reducing the risk of burns while cooking.
- Sustainability – The stoves are made of a simple mud mortar mixture and can easily be repaired by householders as needed. Ripple Africa doesn’t build the stove and walk away but works with households to deliver the long-term education which will ensure the stove will be used for life.
- Saving labor – For women who collect wood, the stove can mean a saving of up to 10 hours each week in wood collection. The stoves also cook faster (Changu Changu Moto actually translates to Fast Fast Fire in Chichewa), and the double burner means food is ready in half the time. This frees up time which women can spend on other activities.
- Saving money – In many parts of Malawi, people cut down trees from existing forests near their home for wood. However, in urban or heavily deforested rural areas, families have to buy their fuel for cooking. Wood is extremely expensive and consumes a huge portion of a family’s expenditure. For poor families, a 67% savings in money spent on wood is significant.
- Educating families about sustainable living – In addition to teaching people how to use the fuel-efficient cookstoves, much time is spent on discussing the stove’s merits. Users learn about the problems of deforestation, and the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly living solutions. This is the key to ensuring the long term success of the project.
This project addresses the following Sustainable Development Goals:
