Climate Curve

Primary Project Category:

Name of Project:

Year Project Originated:

Project Summary / Description:

The CleanHeat Briquette Initiative transforms agricultural waste into affordable, low-carbon biomass briquettes, offering rural households, primarily women,and microenterprises a cleaner, energy-efficient alternative to firewood and charcoal. Operating in Bomet County, Kenya, the initiative directly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by preventing deforestation, displacing high-emission fuels, and diverting crop residues from open burning. Since its launch, the initiative has reached over 500 households and 20 microenterprises, generating early-stage revenue while improving health, energy access, and livelihoods. The project is fully operational and demonstrates strong potential for scale: with additional funding, production and distribution capacity can expand to meet growing demand, extending climate and social impact to thousands more users. By combining measurable environmental benefits with economic empowerment, the CleanHeat Briquette Initiative delivers a replicable, scalable, and verifiable climate solution aligned with Kenya’s energy transition and global greenhouse gas reduction goals.

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

['Replaces/avoids GHGs (e.g., projects that replace sources of GHGs, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, transport, or other energy uses)', 'Reduces GHGs (e.g., projects that reduce sources of GHGs, such as through efficiency or other changes in consumption)']

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

CleanHeat is intentionally designed to empower women and climate-vulnerable rural communities, who are often excluded from clean energy transitions despite bearing the greatest burdens of indoor air pollution and fuel insecurity. Women are the primary users of cooking energy and are central to CleanHeat’s model as distributors, sales agents, and micro-entrepreneurs. By reducing reliance on firewood, the project lowers health risks, time poverty, and household fuel expenses while creating income-generating opportunities along the briquette value chain.
CleanHeat actively partners with women’s groups to drive adoption, co-design distribution strategies, and build local ownership. Leadership representation within the organization reflects a strong commitment to inclusive decision-making and community engagement. By placing women at the center of both impact and implementation, CleanHeat delivers climate action that is equitable, practical, and socially transformative.