Zambia has authorized a clean cooking project operated by African developer BURN to generate carbon credits for use under the international aviation sector’s offsetting scheme, marking the country’s first approval of its kind.

The Letter of Authorization, issued by Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, allows credits from BURN’s clean cooking activities to be used under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, known as CORSIA.

The decision was made under the Green Economy and Climate Change Act of 2024 and the country’s 2026 carbon market regulations. Those rules establish procedures for approving carbon projects and require assessments of environmental integrity, consistency with national climate targets and financial additionality.

BURN’s program distributes high-efficiency cookstoves intended to reduce reliance on traditional cooking fuels. According to the company, the appliances can help protect forests, improve indoor air quality and lower carbon emissions.

This first-of-its-kind authorization comes as Zambia develops systems to oversee international carbon transactions. The government introduced carbon market regulations in January 2026 and launched a national Carbon Registry in August. The digital platform is designed to track and report carbon assets and support accounting under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

“Carbon finance can help close the affordability gap that keeps millions of families reliant on inefficient cooking fuels,” said BURN’s CEO, Peter Scott. “With the Government’s support, we can channel more climate finance into proven clean cooking solutions that save families time and money, protect forests and decrease indoor air pollution.”

BURN’s approval also builds on financing arrangements involving its joint venture with Key Carbon , Global Cookstoves.

Source link