The SWISS Projects

SWISS supports selected myclimate carbon offset projects which all meet the quality criteria of top environmental project standards. One project in the portfolio is already registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol as well as the Gold Standard. The other project is currently undergoing the Gold Standard registration. The Gold Standard is an independently managed label, provided to honour superior carbon offset project standards, and the emission reduction certificates generated from them. The integrity of these projects, with regard to the environmental balance and sustainable development, is of the greatest importance.

Electricity and Heat from Biomass

Karnataka, India

This project in the southern Indian State of Karnataka is the first CDM project in the world to generate emission reductions with the Gold Standard Label.

Agricultural waste (biomass) that used to lie to waste and be burnt on the fields is now used to produce electricity and heat. A pioneering aspect is the utilisation of low-density crop residues as a primary fuel. As a result, approximately 160 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be reduced over a period of seven years.

The local population also benefits since the project generates 650 jobs in the region and contributes to the rural economy each year through the Biomass Supply Chain. Furthermore, the project encourages organic farming through production of organic fertiliser and distributing the same to farmers from whose fields crop residues have been collected.

In addition, the project brings about considerable improvements in the quality of the air and reduces the related health risks.

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Biomass briquettes and efficient cookers

Uttarakhand, India

In the Indian province Uttarakhand climate-damaging coal was used previously as fuel in the brick and iron production. At the same time, many millions of tons of biomass waste accumulate annually from forestry and agriculture as well as from industrial production in India. The local organization Rural Renewable Urja Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (RRUSPL) now utilizes this waste raw material as fuel.

Briquettes made of renewable biomass from forest and agricultural waste are produced which are then delivered to companies producing brick kiln and rod iron in the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh in the north of India. The climate-friendly energy supply is thus replacing coal, a greenhouse gas-intensive fuel, in the kiln and iron production.

In addition, the project also includes the distribution of an efficient and smokeless cooker (chulha) for restaurants, temple complexes, day schools and hospitals. These rural institutions in India were previously very dependent on liquefied petroleum gas for cooking. The new efficient gas cookers save about 50 percent of fuel in comparison with conventional cookers.

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