MICROSOL is a social business dedicated to supporting actors that wish to develop projects to disseminate appropriate technologies that have two positive impacts: social and environmental. Playing two roles as a consultant and as an intermediary for the project developers, MICROSOL inserts sustainable development projects in the international carbon market, allowing the project developers to achieve financial resources according to the project results. Since 2007 MICROSOL manages a PoA (Program of Activities for the carbon market), the Qori Q’oncha Program for diffusion of improved stoves in Peru requesting registration under the Gold Standard.
Contact Information
Our Focus
In 2008, MICROSOL launched the Qori Q’oncha PoA for improved cookstoves diffusion in Peru, where 30.16% of the population uses firewood as primary fuel for cooking; most of these people live in rural areas where the access to primary services such as electricity and clean water is below 50%. The program definition considered the appropriate monitoring plan and activities planning among others, at a national level. In 2009, MICROSOL was focused on the Qori Q’oncha Program and its activities extension in Peru. Strategic alliances have been built in Peru and around the world. This year (2010) is intended for consolidation of the program and extension to other technologies and countries.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
Very close attention should be paid to the cultural context as cooking and food are in the center of everybody’s daily life and have to do with a lot of profound idiosyncratic dimensions. MICROSOL places this aspect in the center of its work and devotes a significant portion of its energy to knowledge research and dissemination, in particular about appropriate technologies. MICROSOL performs its own research, capitalizes on its own experience, and moreover, disseminates knowledge by training and sensitizing. In 2007 MICROSOL developed a socio-anthropological study in the Andean region of Peru, mainly to understand the cultural dimension of the target population of the Qori Q’oncha Program. This study was focused on the socio-cultural dimensions related to cookstoves diffusion in the region of Cusco, Peru. Opportunities for publishing this work are welcome.
The market for improved cookstoves in Peru is not developed yet because of the low demand for this technology. Project developers are encouraged by the carbon market financial incentives to implement improved cookstoves. This is creating demand for products related to their construction. By bringing financing opportunities for the diffusion of the technology, MICROSOL contributes to the market creation.
MICROSOL believes improved cookstoves should be adapted to each community with the help of an expert that ensures the efficiency of the design. That’s why the Qori Q’oncha Program is open to any actor that meets limited basic criteria such as: firewood saving, use of local materials in construction and has a chimney. These criteria do not determine the design of the stove; they are intended to ensure the health and environmental impacts. Also, capacity building on stove construction, use and repair are required for ensuring long term impact which will be demonstrated through a 7 to 21 year long monitoring.
MICROSOL is strongly convinced of the tremendous impact of improved cookstoves adoption on indoor air pollution. Yet, this impact as all others has to be clearly demonstrated through adequate monitoring. Air quality and livelihood of the poor are two indicators of the sustainability matrix of the Gold Standard and are therefore part of the long term monitoring process. During the stakeholder consultation at the national and local level for the first VPA, these two indicators were qualified as positive in the framework of the project. MICROSOL is now in the process of defining the precise indicators to be used for monitoring them.
Relevant Publications or Studies
A 2007 Spnaish language 15p. summary of the most important points to take into account in an improved cookstoves diffusion project is available at: http://www.MICROSOL-int.com/documentos/recomendaciones-generales.pdf
Our Contribution to the Partnership
We would like to share our knowledge on programmatic activities for technology diffusion and on improved cookstoves diffusion and emphasize that: • The programmatic modality in the carbon market is a great opportunity to scale-up ICS diffusion. • Diffusing ICS cannot be done without adaptation to the context thanks to a precise socio-anthropological study. • National project developers should invest in their own countries in order to get the major share of the carbon credits and corresponding financing. • Carbon markets should define social projects with major impact in human development as THE priority.
