In a world where sustainability and innovation are key to addressing global challenges, The African Stove Company (TASC) stands at the forefront of an important movement.
Co-founded with a vision to revolutionize energy access and promote environmental responsibility, TASC is not just making stoves; it’s reshaping communities and futures across Africa.
We had a chance to speak with the Director and Co-founder of TASC, Nick Marshall, to gain insight into the company’s journey, its impact on rural energy solutions, and its plans for the future.
In this exclusive interview, Marshall shares the story behind TASC’s mission, the obstacles they’ve overcome, and the exciting potential of their innovative approach to energy in Africa.
Can you share the story behind The African Stove Company and what inspired its creation?
The African Stove Company emerged from both experience and resilience. In 2010, we developed a similar venture called 3 Rocks Ltd, which ultimately failed when the first iteration of the carbon market collapsed. However, that setback provided valuable lessons. When we recognised the emergence of ‘carbon market 2.0’ around 2019, we saw an opportunity to leverage our established project development expertise and strong operational foundation in Zambia. TASC was born from this blend of past experience, proven capabilities, and perfect timing—essentially turning a previous missed opportunity into a strategic advantage.
What main challenges have you faced as the Co-Founder of this company, and how have you overcome them?
Given the difficulties of navigating the carbon market, there have been many challenges in building TASC – from micro-level complexities of operating in Africa to macro issues such as market liquidity and regulation. Our strategic approach has been to prioritise sustainability over short-term gains.
Having witnessed how VCM demand can evaporate overnight, we’ve implemented deliberate hedging strategies and pivoted toward more stable compliance markets. This sometimes means sacrificing immediate returns, but it has positioned us for long-term resilience in a notoriously volatile industry.
What sets TASC’s products apart from competitors in the market?
We have an unwavering commitment to quality in our projects, even when it requires longer development cycles and higher upfront investment. By carefully selecting best-in-class technologies, monitoring systems and project partners, we deliver carbon credits with superior reliability, forecastability, and integrity. While others might prioritise speed-to-market, our approach ensures our credits maintain their value and effectiveness in the long term.
How do you measure the social impact of your products?
We measure social impact through rigorous adherence to established carbon standards, particularly the Gold Standard for the Global Goals, which guides our identification and direct monitoring of relevant Sustainable Development Goals for each project. While climate action remains our primary focus, our projects deliver multiple co-benefits across areas such as Life on Land and Health & Wellbeing, creating a more holistic environmental and social value proposition beyond carbon reduction alone.
How do you see the global cooking solutions market evolving, and what role do you believe TASC will play in that evolution?
The global cooking solutions market is clearly evolving toward increased efficiency and sustainable fuels. We recognise the practical reality emphasised by the International Energy Agency that transitional solutions like LPG can deliver immediate health and climate benefits, similar to Asia’s successful transition away from biomass.
While electric induction cooking will grow as grid infrastructure improves, our role at TASC is distinctive: we leverage carbon finance as an innovative funding mechanism to deploy solutions that are both practical and culturally appropriate for the communities we serve. This approach allows us to make significant, near-term impact while bridging the gap between current realities and future possibilities.
Do you see the newly accepted Article 6.4 mechanism positively affecting the carbon market?
Absolutely. The newly accepted Article 6.4 mechanism is a significant positive development for the carbon market. It represents a crucial evolution from voluntary approaches — which have been valuable innovation drivers — toward compliance frameworks that can achieve the necessary scale. At this critical juncture in addressing climate change, scaling solutions is precisely what’s needed, and this mechanism provides the regulatory structure to make that possible.
If you could change one thing about the current business environment for African carbon project developers, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing it would be to accelerate national-level carbon market regulation across the continent. Working in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe has shown us firsthand how well-designed regulatory frameworks can effectively catalyse investment.
This government involvement is not just beneficial but essential — it would increase the supply of high-quality projects and enable connection to international markets through Article 6 mechanisms. Without this regulatory foundation, I’m concerned the emerging ‘carbon market 2.0’ in Africa risks failing to reach its potential at precisely the moment when scaled climate solutions are most urgently needed.
