A clean-cooking initiative, backed by California-based nonprofit Cool Effect, has reached a major milestone, installing 400,000 improved cookstoves across Honduras and Guatemala while earning one of the highest ratings in the voluntary carbon market (VCM).
The project, Proyecto Mirador, has delivered cleaner cooking solutions to more than 1.6 million people since its founding in 2004. The effort targets the widespread use of open-fire stoves, which contribute to indoor air pollution and environmental degradation in rural areas.
The initiative recently received an AA, or Tier 1, rating from Calyx Global, making it the first cookstove project in Latin America to achieve that distinction, Cool Effect said Tuesday.
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The milestone coincides with the release of the project’s latest impact report, highlighting progress in monitoring, transparency and adoption.
Globally, more than three billion people still rely on open-fire cooking, a practice linked to 3.2 million premature deaths annually.
Proyecto Mirador’s improved stoves reduce firewood use by about 3,600 pounds per year and can prevent roughly 7.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over their lifetime.
The initiative also supports local economies, sustaining more than 40 microenterprises and over 300 jobs, according to Cool Effect.
Its model requires families to contribute materials while receiving technical support, reducing the risk of corruption and ensuring community involvement.
“Proyecto Mirador demonstrates what’s possible when climate solutions are built in partnership with communities and backed by rigorous carbon standards,” Dee Lawrence, founder of Cool Effect, said in a comment.
With strong ratings and continued expansion, the project is entering a new phase focused on scaling clean cooking access across the region while enhancing data tracking and community partnerships.
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