KOKO Networks collapse: Risks in Africa carbon finance and cookstove credits

KOKO Networks, a Kenyan clean cooking startup, has shut down after a dispute over carbon credit approvals. The collapse highlights major risks in Africa's carbon finance model, particularly for cookstove projects that rely on carbon credit revenue to stay afloat. The article explains how the dispute between KOKO and carbon credit verifiers led to a funding freeze, leaving the company unable to operate. This case raises questions about the long-term viability of cookstove credit markets and the need for better risk management in carbon finance. For anyone following carbon markets or climate finance in Africa, this story is a real world example of how verification disputes can kill projects. It is worth reading to understand the fragility of the current model and what might need to change.