Large number of carbon credits earned by Vietnam Biogas Programme
The Biogas Programme for the Animal Husbandry Sector of Vietnam, with technical assistance from SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, has been issued an impressive amount of 779,924 GS-VER Gold Standard Voluntary Emissions Reduction credits (GS-VER).
This number of GS-VER represents the equivalent of 484,059 tCO2 reduced carbon emissions in 2012 and 295,865 tCO2eq in the first 6 months of 2013 as a result of the installation of biogas digesters throughout Vietnam. The Biogas Programme is currently reducing Vietnam’s carbon emissions by more than 480,000 tCO2 equivalent per year. This in turn creates thousands of jobs and improves living conditions for Vietnam’s rural communities.
Dr. Tong Xuan Chinh, Deputy Director General of Department of Livestock Production under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Director of the Biogas Programme states: “The Biogas Programme for the Animal Husbandry Sector of Vietnam has successfully secured their Second Issuance with an amount of 779,924 GS-VERs. This continues to contribute to the more sustainable market-oriented development of Vietnam biogas sector, to maintain multiple benefits of livestock household bio-digesters and to improve the rural environment.”
The Biogas Programme aims to provide a solution which turns Vietnam’s waste problem into a sustainable source of energy for rural households. This sustainable technology uses animal waste in replacement of traditional fossil fuels and firewood. The energy produced can be used for cooking, lighting and other income-generating activities. With the installation of a biogas plant, an average household can reduce five tons of CO2 emissions and can save up to USD 120 on energy costs a year. Additional benefits for the community include improved health condition and long term employment opportunities.
Dagmar Zwebe, SNV Advisor to the Biogas Programme indicates: “The Biogas Programme is the first Vietnamese project and the second largest household energy project registered under the Voluntary Gold Standard, which showcases that carbon markets can support the large-scale dissemination of life-improving and sustainable technologies.”
For this second monitoring cycle the Biogas Programme and SNV have continued their successful partnership with Nexus, a nonprofit cooperative of project developers. Nexus provided the technical assistances and support to the Biogas Programme to help it reach its full potential on the purchasing of GS-VER Credits.
Claire Dufour, Nexus’ Executive Director states: “This new issuance is timely as the credits from the previous monitoring periods have been fully sold. The sales of these new credits will result in long-term funding for biogas market, which has already improved the livelihoods of millions of Vietnamese”.
To date, the funds received through the sales of the VERs account for about 50% of the Programme’s budget, resulting in a more sustainable market and an increasing number of domestic digesters in Vietnam.