BURN announces Letter of Authorization from DRC’s Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy, to sell ITMO credits to international CORSIA scheme

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – 30th April 2026 – BURN, Africa’s leading clean cooking company, has received a formal Letter of Authorization (LoA) from the DRC’s Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy, under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This authorization is the first step for BURN and its partners to sell carbon credits to CORSIA, the global offsetting scheme for the aviation industry. Partners for BURN’s projects in DRC include Global Cookstoves Limited, a joint venture funded by Key Carbon, among others. 

This was the first Letter of Authorization (LoA) in DRC to be signed, reflecting the Government of DRC’s ambitions to actively participate in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and position itself as a hub for climate finance and green manufacturing. This authorization will enable BURN, Key Carbon, and other partners to generate and transfer 930,000 carbon credits from its clean cooking activities in DRC. Unlocking pathways to Article 6 will support large-scale distribution of BURN’s efficient stoves to households across the country, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while delivering major health, economic, and environmental benefits for Congolese families.

Protecting the Congo Basin forests is of strategic importance. Second only to the Amazon in size, this hugely significant forest sequesters over 1.5 billion tons of CO₂ annually and is under threat from informal charcoal production. In Kinshasa, a city of almost 20M people, households consume 5M m³ of wood annually for cooking, equivalent to 5.4M tons CO₂. 

The Congo is also the site of the inspiration of BURN’s founder, Peter Scott, who was travelling through in the 1990s when he witnessed the deforestation caused by the production of charcoal for household cooking. At that time, he dedicated his life to saving the forests of sub-Saharan Africa by designing and building fuel-efficient stoves. 

Today, BURN has announced its intention to launch new manufacturing facilities in DRC to support the local market, creating more green jobs and supporting technology transfer. Since launching operations in DRC in 2017, BURN has channeled more than $18M of investment into the country, distributing nearly 400,000 fuel-efficient stoves nationwide. By leveraging carbon finance, BURN has subsidized stove prices by 60–100%, enabling families to access a US$50 stove for as little as US$10. 

Clean cooking remains one of DRC’s most urgent climate and public health challenges. Approximately 90% of the population still rely on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal for daily cooking, contributing significantly to deforestation, indoor air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Even among households using “improved” stoves, a large proportion still rely on inefficient cooking technologies that consume excessive fuel and offer limited health or climate benefits. 

BURN leverages carbon finance to bring a range of its modern, fuel-efficient clean cooking appliances including LPG, and biomass stoves to households in DRC. These appliances significantly reduce fuel consumption, lower household energy costs, and improve health outcomes for families across the country.  

Through its carbon-financed model, BURN is able to make clean cooking technologies accessible and affordable for low-income households while delivering verified emissions reductions under internationally recognized carbon standards. 

Announcing the Authorization last week, at the start of an Article 6 capacity building workshop, Minister Professor Marie Nyange Ndambo said “My ministry is actively working on the development of the carbon market in the DRC. With approximately 8% of the world’s forest carbon stored in our forests, we bear an immense responsibility that requires constant efforts in preservation and restoration. BURN Manufacturing is now a strategic partner of the government in implementing sustainable solutions.”  

Peter Scott, Founder and CEO of BURN said, “ When I was 20, I went to the Congo and saw devastating deforestation for charcoal production. I got down on my knees and wept, and I said I would dedicate my life to saving forests in Africa. This Letter of Authorization from the Government of DRC marks a significant step forward in our mission to expand access to clean cooking solutions for households across DRC. It reflects DRC’s commitment to enabling climate solutions and aligning carbon finance with national climate priorities”.   

The project will contribute to DRC’s broader climate and development objectives, including reducing deforestation, improving household air quality, and accelerating access to modern energy solutions for underserved communities. 

ABOUT BURN in DRC 

Founded in 2011, BURN was created to save forests by revolutionizing the clean cooking sector. BURN has been in the DRC market for the past nine years and has sold more than 370,000 units of its world-leading fuel-efficient wood and charcoal cooking appliances, impacting over 2 million lives. While traditional, inefficient stoves can bankrupt families, damage their health, and destroy forests, BURN’s best-in-class stoves can save families money on fuel, limit indoor air pollution, and protect forests. BURN is now the world’s leading clean cooking company and one of the only carbon project developers to cover the full carbon value chain, from project design and in-house monitoring to credit issuance.   

ABOUT Global Cookstoves Ltd and Key Carbon 

Global Cookstoves Ltd is a 50-50 joint venture between BURN and Key Carbon, a London-based carbon project developer and financier. Key Carbon is invested in clean cooking, forestry, and regenerative agriculture projects globally.  

Learn more at burnstoves.com.