Second Verification Started

The future of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) after 2020 is still uncertain, and the carbon markets are a bundle of unknowns. Nevertheless many carbon standards, governments, international agencies etc remain ambitious to ensure the markets will continue to grow and contribute significantly to the Paris climate goals.

It is in that spirit that we have decided to embark on our second verification exercise, closing a monitoring period of 10 months from the 1st of June 2019 and until 31st March 2020, when schools shut their doors as they went into lockdown due to COVID-19 measures.

The Monitoring Report has been uploaded and made public today, and the verification exercise has officially commenced, with 4K Earth Science as the Designated Operational Entity (DOE) in charge of verifying our operations and report of the Project Activity “Institutional Improved Cook Stoves for Schools and Institutions in Uganda”.

Checking On the Kitchens as Schools Re-Open

Throughout this past week we have been visiting all 70 participating schools under Simoshi’s Project Activity “Institutional Improved Cook Stoves for Schools and Institutions in Uganda”. We are making sure the institutional improved cook stoves (IICS) are in good conditions to start preparing the children’s daily meals.

Although schools have been closed for the past 7 months, many school kitchens were still operational and specially the IICS of smaller capacities were used daily to prepare the food for the school staff that reside within the premises.

We faced some bad surprises, as some IICS users were not the usual school cooks, they have not been trained on how to take care of their stoves, and the hygiene conditions were not what you would desire to find. So we had to get dirty, clean soot, collect mountains of ash and and scrap food stuck from inside the IICS. In some cases, have them repaired and re-plastered as the firewood logs had been using were too big a big and had damaged the combustion chambers.

It's Back To School Now

A happy post finally, the great news we were waiting for the past 6 months. During the latest address on Covid-19, President Museveni announced candidate classes will resume on October 15, while international schools will be also allowed to start as long as the latest Standard Operational Procedures are followed and clearance is given by the Ministry of Health.

As such, we have been busy with calls from several schools who are looking into changing their traditional cooing practices, while others were refurbishing their kitchen building during lock down to make way to their new institutional improved cook stoves (IICS), like at St. James Biina Primary School. We are sharing some pictures of the installation of their new IICS done last week, together with their former stove construction and kitchen.

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Promoting Improved Cook Stoves Does Not Stop

Under the World Bank’s Distribution Challenge Fund (DCF), Simoshi has received financial support to further intensify its marketing and promotional activities of household improved cook stoves within the districts of Kampala and Wakiso.

Although Uganda is still under some lock down measures because of COVID-19, including the closure of airport, schools, churches and curfew hours, we had to reinvent and re-adjust some of our field operations to make sure we continue raising awareness on the benefits of using an improved cook stove within Ugandan households.

With the DCF support, we purchased a three wheeler bike, as we have decided to travel further distances into rural areas to ensure we can reach an audience that is usually unattended - because all the difficulties related to longer distances, complicated access and poor roads, etc. We have recently offloaded 500 dual fuel household improved cook stoves in our office in Kajjansi, and are hopeful that no new lockdown measures will be announced tomorrow as the nation prepares itself for the President’s national address.

The Energy Access Industry Barometer Now

Energising Development (EnDev), the energy access partnership currently financed by six donor countries - the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden - says energy access is at crisis. That comes as no surprise to many….. They led a global survey of the off-grid energy industry to date representing feedback from more than 600 companies across 44 countries which provide energy access through mini-grids, clean cooking solutions, household solar products, and appliances.

As 85% companies fear for their survival beyond a period of more than five months, many jobs are already lost, and remaining ones at risk. This situation is more evident especially with smaller companies and distributors. “The crisis has reached a critical stage for most of the companies, with severe impacts on employment and ultimately on livelihoods. 35% of companies have already laid off 30% of their staff; additional staff will be laid off in the next few months if no immediate support is available” the report claims.

For us here at Simoshi. with schools still currently closed, many of our activities have become dormant. Others, such as our second verification exercise planned to take place in December 2020, had to be cancelled. Nevertheless, we have continued with the marketing and sale of our carbon credits, because this is done on-line, and because thankfully many stakeholders had continued to voluntarily offset their carbon footprint. This has allowed us to divert some of our programmes as we await for a “normalisation” of school attendance.

Carbon Footprint Calculator To Help Consumers

An innovative footprint calculator has been launched to help consumers, manufacturers and brands alike understand the climate impact of consumer goods. The Swedish Fin-Tech Doconomy has developed this tool as they join efforts with the UN Climate Change partnership to increase awareness among stakeholders of the climate impact of our actions.

To complete a product carbon footprint calculation, the user has to have production data available including the total weight of the product as well as the weight and material of each product part (or piece of packaging material), the location of each material supplier, the location of the manufacturing facility (and type of energy used) and the location of the final distribution center, including the modes of transport between them.

We have used calculator to understand the climate impact the Ugastove household dual fuel improved cook stove has during its manufacturing process. This gave a total of 8.32 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions as a carbon footprint for each household improved cook stove that is manufactured in Kampala. The good news, is that when a Ugandan household replaces a traditional cook stove appliance with this Ugastove dual fuel improved cook stove for their daily cooking activities, and average of 2,700 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions are saved per year, because of the energy efficiency combustion capability.

The calculator is also linked to the UN Carbon Offset Platform, enabling the application users to take immediate climate action by contributing to green projects that are vetted by the United Nations and that work towards achieving the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development co-Benefits Report

The sustainable development tool enables companies like Simoshi to showcase the sustainable development benefits of its project activity “Institutional Improved Cook Stoves for Schools and Institutions in Uganda”. The report is now available on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website and describes in detail the positive impact it has on improving indoor air quality, on natural resources, access to energy, and the extent of the social and economic benefits it brings to those enjoying the benefits of the institutional improved cook stoves.

The Benefits To Others When Offsetting

Carbon financing is a simple concept, although people generally find it confusing. But it is not. A carbon credit is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide not emitted into the atmosphere. It is the simple equation of offsetting your carbon footprint by purchasing a reduction of carbon dioxide implemented by a project in a developing country.

There is a great variety of projects currently reducing greenhouse gas emissions around the world. But not all operate under the same circumstances or deliver the same benefits. When you buy a carbon credit, you are supporting a project to further implement and sustain all the activities and benefits attached to such implementation, creating sustainable development benefits for the communities involved. As a buyer, aim high when choosing your offsets, considering long-term environmental and social impact, beyond the carbon-development benefit. Purchasing high quality carbon credits means investing in the transition to zero carbon while supporting the most vulnerable communities such projects operate with.

Third National Address By First Lady on Schools' Situation

All schools have been closed in Uganda since 18 of March. Since then, the Ministry of Education and Sports put a plan in place that focuses on three main areas:
1. Continuity of learning during the closure of Institutions of Learning.
2. Preparedness for re-opening of institutions of learning when it is safe to do so.
3. Ensuring effective teaching and learning upon re-opening of the Institutions of Learning

His Excellency, the President directed that a Cabinet Sub-Committee be constituted to look into the issue of re-opening of Institutions of Learning. This Committee had representation from the other Ministries such as Health, Local Government, ICT and National Guidance, Science, Innovation and Technology. The Committee also consulted with the Technical Team of Scientists that is advising government on its response to this pandemic. After taking into consideration all the views, they resolved that the time was not yet right to have learners go back to their Institutions of Learning – not even for candidate classes as they had earlier thought. Therefore schools will remain closed throughout the month of July.

Last night the Minister of Education and Sports gave an update on the progress to date. What happens next in preparation for re-opening of schools and institutions? The Ministry of Education and Sports has received Sector-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) from the Ministry of Health to guide the Ministry in determining its Sector’s readiness to re-open Institutions of Learning. The Ministry shall review these SOPs and advise Cabinet in due course.

Inspire Change

During these difficult times of COVID19 and physical distancing, we can still work with passionate readers and supporters of climate change to help spread the word why it is important to support practical and inclusive climate solutions.

Al Gore has been an inspiration to us ever since we first watched the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”. Directed by David Guggenheim in 2006, it educated us on global warming, while winning two Academy Awards. He successfully managed to get the message across of an idea and concept he had been pursuing for a very long time. It is always inspiring to keep watching over and over, it reminds us that we are also contributing to this worldwide massive community pushing for a greener planet.

Remember, with climate change, change happens over generations, making it harder to see or believe what problems are ahead of us. Scientists and environmentalists like Al Gore have been sounding the alarm for decades now. Whether we can now see it for ourselves, and for those who still don’t believe on it, we join the movement of those raising awareness around the world, educating the big and the small, learning ourselves more because climate change is a risk not to ignore.

link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu6SE5TYrCM

First 1,000 Carbon Credits Sold

Today we reached a big milestone as Simoshi’s first 1,000 Gold Standard Certified Emission Reductions, equivalent to 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide not released into the atmosphere, have been sold through the United Nations Climate Neutral Now portal. We are extremely grateful to those 74 buyers who voluntarily decided to offset their carbon footprint by choosing our carbon credits generated from our Project Activity “Institutional Improved Cook Stoves for Schools and Institutions in Uganda”.

Special mention needs to be highlighted as all of these buyers made a conscious choice to purchase our emission reductions that are more expensive than other carbon credits generated from projects in different developing countries. This is an exemplary attitude that always keeps us motivated, because our buyers understand that the social, health, environmental and economic benefits our project achieve have a more powerful impact. This is why Simoshi’s carbon credits have been verified to achieve nine Sustainable Development Goals.

We are proud to continuously remind our readers and buyers that Simoshi’s Project Activity has a unique and competitive advantage within the cook stove sector, as it is one of the very few projects - if not the only one - that provides on-going support and free annual stove maintenance for 5 years to all participating schools under its project.

To all our supporters and buyers of carbon credits, who consciously understand the integrity of our project operations, we say thank you. Without your support, we would not be able to help new schools move away from using 3-stone fires for all of their cooking activities.

Climate Constellations

The Keeling Curve Prize annually awards $250,000 to projects that display proven carbon uptake, drawdown, or sequestration efforts. Through their GWMP Sphere Program global network of people and projects dedicated to finding climate solutions, they connect individuals with sponsors, students with internships, and problems with solutions - creating an atmosphere of change.

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Sphere came up with a fantastic Climate Constellations programme, with the goal of pairing students with organisations for an 8-10 week period, virtual, unpaid, full or part-time internship, as they had lost their summer internship positions.

We welcome Jolie Wasserman as the Marketing & Communications intern for Simoshi. In this role, Jolie will monitor several social media platforms and use creative marketing techniques to raise awareness about carbon finance and promote carbon credit sales. Jolie is currently an undergraduate at Cornell University where she is pursuing a B.S. degree in Environment & Sustainability in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She hopes to combine her interests in long-term sustainability, business, and finance by pursuing a career in the sustainable management and sustainable finance fields.

Jolie has also served as an intern for the past few years in the office of New York State Assemblywoman, Sandy Galef. In this capacity, she helped work on a plastic bag ban, which ultimately went into effect this past March. Additionally, Jolie is a researcher for Cornell University Sustainable Design’s Solar Panel Reboot project team. This summer, she will continue her work further investigating solar panel refurbishment techniques. In addition to these endeavors, Jolie is an accomplished flutist having performed at both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Her involvement with the music community continues in college as a member of the Cornell University Wind Symphony.

Schools Closed Throughout June

Last month we were excited to write about candidate classes resuming on 4th of June. But unfortunately that directive never happened as President Museveni announced last week that schools would be closed for another 30 days.

It is certainly sad for us too as most of our activities had also been halted. We have used these past months to maintain all institutional improved cook stoves (IICS) as kitchens are not being used.

We are still getting calls and emails from new schools asking for quotations and payment plans to purchase new IICS and move away from traditional 3-stone fires and outdoors cooking as the pictures here below. Private and public schools are desperate to go back to normal but also concerned about how they will manage to implement the social distancing requirements.

It is also of worry to read reports that have looked at the consequences the ebola pandemic had in West African countries and early marriage of adolescent girls. Leaving school takes them away from friends and spaces where they develop social skills and networks as well as support systems. The importance of addressing these challenges is clear: many countries through sub-Saharan Africa have relatively young populations – the majority of the population is aged below 25 – and school closures could leave many adolescent girls vulnerable.

End of a May in Standstill

May has been a quiet month as we continued with the lockdown measures as a result of COVID-19. Nevertheless, this week we have entered a new phase as relaxing measures are now in place, such as private cars are back on the road, and public transport will be soon released.

The other great news is that candidate classes (Primary 7, Senior 4 and Senior 6) will go back to school next week to commence with Term II. This is certainly crucial for Simoshi as we are eager to continue promoting the use of energy efficient cooking stoves in school kitchens to get them moving away from traditional 3-stone fires. But we urgently need for all classes to go back to “normal” or how we used to know life before - if there is any chance that it will ever be the life as we knew it.

Debate aside, we have used the spare time to work on the office’s backyard and the bushy space has been magically converted to a vegetable garden by our colleague Henry. I could not resist to also share a picture of the breathtaking sunrise in Kampala, as air got cleaner (and views more stunning) during the past three months of lock down. And a picture of the deserted capital roads being patrolled by military to ensure everyone adheres to the health measures.

Please remember to continue supporting our activities and schools in Uganda by offsetting your carbon footprint as you purchase the emission reductions (carbon credits) from the United Nations Climate Neutral Now portal here.

And Another School Joins!

Today we had again the pleasure to deliver 6 institutional improved stoves (IICS) to a secondary school of 2,000 boarding students in Bombo, 60 kilometers ways from the capital Kampala. Despite all the difficulties we are currently facing with the transport restrictions (between many other!) we have still managed to remove old stoves, and make the delivery and installation of the new IICS. We are looking forward to going back to normal times so we can share pictures of the new kitchen and happy cooks.

Today We Make One Month Of Lock Down

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni gave the order for all schools to close effective 18th of March, due to the current COVID-19 crisis. It proved to be an effective decision, between many taken in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, as one month down the road we now stand at 56 confirmed cases, 20 recoveries, and no deaths.

For us here at Simoshi, we had several schools that had placed their orders for the purchase of the institutional improved stoves (IICS) before this lock down started. Because factories were allowed to operate - as long as employees could make it to work either because they stayed on site or lived nearby - we had managed to continue with the manufacturing activities, and subsequent deliveries of the IICS.

This week Najja Modern has now joined Simoshi’s Project Activity, and we wanted to share with you some happy pictures of the delivery made this past Tuesday. And also mention how we made it to the school on Busabal road, with whichever transport was allowed, as public and private transport is currently banned. The Director of the school, Mr. Ssebagala, rode his bicycle from Bukoto, approximately 13 kilometers away. It is this kind attitudes that keeps us going in such difficult times…..

Join the Global Community Committing to Becoming Climate Neutral by 2021

During such difficult times we are now facing, many organisations, private sector, governments and individuals are still committed and working together to reach climate neutrality.

The United Nations Climate Change secretariat invites organizations to take the Climate Neutral Now Pledge. The pledge represents a growing movement of companies and governments taking the lead on reducing emissions and accelerating the global journey to a climate-neutral future.

Organizations that take the pledge commit to:

1. Measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions for an agreed-upon period of time

2. Reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible

3. Offset remaining emissions with UN Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

Please click on the button below to learn more on how you can lead the way on reducing emissions and accelerating the global journey to a climate-neutral future.

We Adjust, And Keep Pushing

In Uganda, schools were the first institutions to close as a result of COVID 19. It has now been over 10 days since the President of Uganda Mr. Yoweri Museveni gave the order for all school to close, and for the past couple of days, all public transport was also banned.

As we all collaborate to avoid further spread of the virus, businesses are allowed to continue operating, as long as the rest of the measures in place are followed. Therefore I wanted to update you on what has been happening here at Simoshi. Our clients are schools, and our daily activities were certainly disrupted. But we adjust - like everyone else does - and are using the time wisely to improve our services.

We had conducted yet again another training at the stove manufacturer’s (Ugastove) factory, and Henry, our Maintenance Officer, has been repairing institutional improved cook stoves (IICS) as kitchens are now closed.

Ugastove’s personnel are commuting by foot, luckily they live close by the factory, and our schools past orders are still being processed, with several IICS of different capacities being manufactured. Deliveries are still being made to new schools joining our Project Activity. Below are some pictures of the activities during these past days.

Carbon TradeXchange

The Carbon TradeXchange (CTX) is operated by the Environmental Market Services Limited (EMS), a UK-based subsidiary under the Global Environmental Markets. Under the CTX brand, EMS trades carbon credits certified by the Gold Standard, the Clean Development Mechanism and the Verified Carbon Standard, while also providing services such as carbon offsetting, carbon neutral certification, and carbon footprinting.

Simoshi’s Gold Standard Certified Emission Reductions (carbon credits) from its Project Activity “Institutional Improved Cook Stoves for Schools and Institutions in Uganda” (ID 10345)are now listed on the Carbon TradeXchange.

Happy Day to Our Favourite Ladies

We dedicate this post to the ladies in the school kitchens, working under unbearable conditions when using traditional stoves or 3-stone fires. Smoke, flying ash, soot, heat and flames threatening from all sides put their stamina to the limit. Usually underpaid - the average monthly salary for a school cook is USD 35 - they start their day very early in the morning to make sure the porridge is ready by 7am, to continue with the tireless job of preparing lunch (and supper for those boarding) and then serving the food to the children, always with a smile in their faces. Happy women’s day!