TASC

20/07/2026

One million cookstoves. Countless stories. 🌍🔥

Over the past few weeks, we’ve celebrated some incredible milestones at TASC, and we wanted to bring them together in one story.

What started with the first cookstove distributed in August 2021 has grown into a remarkable achievement: 1 million fuel-efficient cookstoves distributed across South Africa.

Behind that number is real impact:
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Approximately 3.4 million people reached
🌳 2.49 tonnes less wood used per household each year
📍 Operating across five districts in Limpopo and Mpumalanga

But the truth is, this project has never been just about the numbers.

It’s about families spending less time collecting firewood and more time together. It’s about cleaner air in homes, reduced pressure on South Africa’s forests, and communities benefiting from carbon projects.

Our monitoring teams often tell us that the most rewarding part of their work isn’t collecting data, it’s hearing how these cookstoves have made everyday life a little easier. From making daily cooking more efficient to bringing families together around shared meals, those conversations remind us that the real impact goes far beyond emissions reductions.

We also want to give a special thank you to the people who make this possible every day: our distribution and monitoring teams, the communities who welcomed this technology, our implementation partners Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region and Mogalakwena Training Ltd, our MRV partner PowerSolve Technologies, and the many organisations and buyers who have supported the project along the way. 🤝

That’s what makes this journey so powerful: one project connecting climate action, community impact, and real-world delivery.

To everyone who has been part of this journey so far, thank you. This milestone belongs to all of you. 🌱

Follow our page as we continue sharing the stories, people, and impact behind South Africa’s cookstove journey. 🇿🇦

05/06/2026

Today is 🌍

At TASC, we spend a lot of time talking about carbon, the benefits of climate finance, and the evolution of carbon markets. But days like today are a great reminder to stop and reflect on why we do any of this in the first place.

A healthy environment depends on thriving natural systems: productive soils, healthy grasslands, clean air, rich biodiversity, and resilient ecosystems that support life and help us adapt to a changing climate.

Across the projects we support, from restoring South Africa's grasslands to expanding access to cleaner cooking solutions, we see firsthand the value of protecting and restoring nature. Climate action is about more than reducing emissions; it's about investing in the ecosystems that sustain us all. Healthy ecosystems provide clean water, fertile soils, biodiversity, and resilience to climate impacts, supporting both people and nature while helping build stronger communities and landscapes for generations to come.

Building on that idea, we're proud to work alongside communities, farmers, project partners, and buyers who are helping create a healthier future for people and the planet.

Join us today in celebrating the natural world that supports us all, and the communities working every day to protect and restore it. Happy World Environment Day. 🌱

28/01/2026

South Africa’s grasslands set a global benchmark for community-led carbon markets

A major milestone for high-integrity, nature-based carbon!! 📢

TASC has issued the first Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB)-labelled carbon credits under Verra's VM0042 methodology, through our Grassland Restoration and Stewardship in South Africa (GRASS) project.

What this issuance represents:
🧾 266,255 verified carbon credits issued
🌾 95,364 hectares of communal grasslands under improved management
💼 Nearly 300 jobs created, 25% of them for women
🤝 4,000 communal farmers provided with market access
💰 An additional R5.5 million generated for farmers through improved market access

Developed with Meat Naturally Africa, the project combines regenerative grazing, fire management, and market access, with carbon revenues flowing back through a community trust to strengthen rural livelihoods.

GRASS was the first project registered under VM0042 and its success in the communal landscape has spilled over into the commercial sector, expanding to include a second project instance integrating commercial farmers.

Today, GRASS is one of the largest grassland restoration initiatives globally:
✔️ 605,000+ hectares of communal rangeland under management
✔️ An additional 360,000 hectares across 100+ private farmers integrated into the project
✔️ More than 10,000 small-scale farmers engaged
✔️ Close to 900 jobs created, with 30% held by women
✔️ Generated a further R56.4 million through livestock and wool markets

With a pathway to 2 million hectares by 2030, GRASS shows what carbon can deliver when climate, nature, and communities are built in by design.

To our partners - we did it! ✨

A huge thank you to Meat Naturally Africa for your expertise and partnership, and to the communities and farmers whose stewardship makes this work possible. This milestone belongs to all of you.


Click the links below to find out more or contact us:
🔗 https://tasc.je/2023/03/22/regenerative-grazing-in-south-africa/
✉️[email protected]

14/01/2026

We’re back! 🌍✨

As we shake off holiday mode and ease back into work, we want to take a moment to say a genuine thank you.

Over 2025, multiple companies, groups, and individuals made substantial purchases of TASC carbon credits via the Gold Standard Marketplace - and the impact of that support has been meaningful.

Thank you for backing , climate action. We see you, and we appreciate you.

These purchases directly support:
🍳 Improved Cookstove projects in Zambia and Zimbabwe
💧 Safe Water projects in Uganda

Together, they help deliver cleaner cooking, access to safe water, reduced emissions, and on-the-ground benefits for the communities involved.

If you’re looking to start 2026 by turning good intentions into real impact, credits from our Uganda Safe Water project are still available - follow the link below: https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/products/tasc-safe-water-systems-for-rural-uganda?_pos=1&_psq=uganda&_ss=e&_v=1.0

From all of us at TASC, we hope you had a restful festive season, and we wish you a happy 2026. 🌱

14/01/2026

TASC recently featured in Standard Bank Group BLUE Magazine.

The article unpacks something we talk about a lot at TASC, and something we believe is essential, yet not always visible in carbon projects: the ability to deliver high-integrity climate projects that create real community impact all while being investable.

Beyond what carbon projects deliver on paper, the article also dives into the less visible (but critical) side of the work that often gets overlooked:
💰 The challenge of upfront financing - and why it remains one of the biggest barriers to scale
🔍 Robust monitoring, verification, and community engagement - the backbone of credibility and trust
🔗 Innovative financing structures - enabling projects to grow without compromising integrity

If you’re curious about where climate finance, development, and carbon markets actually meet, grab a cup of coffee and have a read - this one’s worth your time.

👉 Read the full article here: https://bluemag.standardbank.com/blue_magazine_vol_3/0035.html

22/12/2025

That’s a wrap on 2025… 🎬

We can safely say (as we do every year) — that was a crazy year in the carbon markets!

But it was also one of momentum and meaningful progress. Globally, we saw:
🔹 Many countries advancing Article 6 readiness and laying foundations for cross-border cooperation.
🔹 CORSIA gaining traction, with frameworks and eligibility pathways emerging.
🔹 A continued shift toward including both carbon removals and reductions in corporate and government climate strategies.
🔹 Integrity becoming central to market conversations.

At TASC, what stood out most for us was the momentum building in African carbon markets. Across the continent, 2025 marked a transition from aspiration to action — not just participation, but purposeful engagement:

🌍 Broad participation across Africa
Many African countries are actively engaged in carbon markets, with emerging frameworks, pilot systems, and policy dialogues aimed at unlocking finance and expanding participation.

📜 Article 6 frameworks advancing
Countries including Ghana have released operationalised Article 6 frameworks, while others like South Africa and Zambia released draft frameworks or readiness plans.

🤝 Bilateral cooperation & agreements
Across the continent, there is increasing bilateral engagement — from Article 6 cooperation arrangements to memoranda of understanding with international partners — laying the groundwork for ITMOs and regulated trading.

✈️ CORSIA & credit issuances
Several countries have developed and issued CORSIA and Article 6-aligned credits.

Taken together, these actions reveal an important shift: no longer is Africa simply participating in carbon markets but rather it is rising as a crucial player.

To echo our CEO, Shelley Estcourt, speaking in The Green Agenda Magazine (Issue 12): “At TASC, we see this as Africa’s moment to grasp with both hands. A combination of abundant natural resources, a young and entrepreneurial population, and growing institutional maturity positions the continent to be a global carbon leader.”

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, the continent’s direction is clear: build systems that are equitable, credible, and aligned with real climate and development outcomes.

From all of us at TASC, we are wishing you all a happy festive season and we look forward to seeing you again in the new year.

09/12/2025

The holiday season is well and truly upon us — marked by half-empty offices, deadlines magically shifting to January, and that familiar festive buzz in the air. 🎄✨

And for many of us… the annual question returns: “What on earth do I get people this year?”

If you’re tired of gifting the same old items destined for a dusty corner — why not change it up with something that actually makes a difference?

This season, give a gift that gives back.

Our clean cooking and safe water projects are live on the Gold Standard Marketplace, making it easier than ever to support and change lives at the same time.

Explore our projects on the Gold Standard Marketplace here:
🍳 Improved Cookstoves | Zambia: https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/products/tasc-improved-cookstoves-rural-zambia
💧 Safe Water Systems | Uganda: https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/products/tasc-safe-water-systems-for-rural-uganda

Over 21 million people in Uganda are living without basic access to clean drinking water. The vast majority of people rely on water boiling to purify their water and prevent water borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera. TASC has financed the distribution of 30,000 Purifaaya ceramic wate...

05/12/2025

Picking up from the introduction to the TASC Foundation… this week, we get into the exciting part: the projects themselves! ✨

Across Southern Africa, the Foundation’s mission is clear: 🏘️ Empower communities | 📚 Build skills | 💛 Reduce poverty | 📈 Help start-ups grow… all while caring for the environment. 🌿

But where and how does all this happen?

We acknowledge attention spans are short and project descriptions are long, so here’s your quick-fire tour of the Foundation’s projects:

📍Kruger 2 Canyons (K2C) Biosphere
💻Sand River Digital Hub – Expands digital access with community Wi-Fi hubs, digital skills training, and support for local micro-businesses.
🥕 Phalakubeni Access to Markets – Provides cold-chain + transport support so smallholder farmers can sell fresh produce into bigger, better-paying markets.
♻️ London Waste Beneficiation Centre – Builds a community-led recycling micro-economy through training reclaimers, improved sorting, and diverting significant waste from landfills.
🎁 Kulani-in-a-Box – Helps women artisans reach higher-value markets with improved product design, sustainable packaging, and e-commerce readiness.
🛒 Hoedspruit Farmers Market – Establishes a permanent shop + online store so local producers can earn more stable, reliable income.

📍Waterberg Region
🌳 Bush Clearing & Community Agroforestry – Restores degraded grasslands by removing invasive bush and creates new agroforestry-based livelihood opportunities.

📍Drakensberg Escarpment
🥩 Community Abattoir Feasibility Study – Explores developing a local abattoir to restore lost market access for communal farmers affected by disease restrictions.
🏃‍♂️ Running for Rangelands – Supports the Meat Naturally Africa community team competing in Run the Berg to raise awareness for regenerative rangeland management.

📍Zambia
📚 Sausage Tree Charity – Strengthens rural education in the Luangwa Valley with school upgrades, bursaries, teacher support, and essential learning materials.

A quick run-through, yes… but each of these projects carries real impact, real stories, and real people behind them. To find out for yourself, click the link 👉 https://tasc.je/our-foundation/