Social impact projects: climate action that improves lives
What are social impact projects?
Social impact projects are climate projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving health, livelihoods, and local infrastructure. They combine measurable climate impact with tangible social benefits.
People in lower-income countries are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite having contributed the least to it. Social impact projects address this imbalance by supporting everyday needs such as clean cooking, safe drinking water, and access to reliable energy.
For companies, social impact projects offer a way to contribute to climate action while delivering verified environmental and social outcomes.
How do social impact projects work?
Social impact projects focus on regions that are particularly affected by climate change. They support sustainable development by creating jobs, improving education and health, and strengthening local infrastructure.
At the same time, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing inefficient and polluting practices with proven, low-tech solutions such as improved cookstoves, water filters, and solar lights.
Improved cookstoves reduce toxic smoke
Around 2.3 billion people worldwide still cook over open fires. This cooking method is inefficient, consumes large amounts of firewood, contributes to deforestation, and releases harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Smoke from open fires is a major health risk—more than 3 million people die each year due to household air pollution.
Improved cookstoves use significantly less fuel and emit far less smoke. They improve indoor air quality, particularly benefiting women and children, while reducing the need to collect or purchase firewood or charcoal.
Project highlight in Somalia
Somalia is facing severe impacts from years of drought. Food insecurity remains high, and much of the population lives in poverty. This cookstove project distributes an average of 126,240 improved cookstoves per year, helping families reduce charcoal use and lower cooking costs. The savings can then be invested in essentials such as food or education.
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Water filters prevent diseases
According to the United Nations, 2.2 billion people lacked access to clean drinking water in 2022. Many rely on contaminated water from wells or walk long distances to meet their daily water needs. They then boil the water over open fires, when possible, to make it drinkable. This process generates emissions and exposes households to toxic smoke. Water filters are easy to use, eliminate the need to boil water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Project highlight in Uganda
Many people in Uganda get their drinking water from rivers, lakes, or ponds. This causes many diseases, such as cholera or diarrhoea. This clean drinking water project distributes water filters made of ceramic. The water runs through microscopic holes in the ceramic pot, allowing only clean water to pass through while leaving germs and impurities behind.
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Solar lights reduce burn injuries
Many people do not have access to a reliable source of energy and use kerosene lamps to light their homes. This not only harms the environment by emitting greenhouse gases, but also poses a high risk of injury, fire damage, and respiratory disease. Solar lamps can replace kerosene lamps and have a positive impact on the environment and people's health. They improve household safety, protect health, and often strengthen local economies.
Project highlight in India
In India, the world’s most populous country, millions of people live below the poverty line. This project enables women micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas to access funding for solar lamps and helps build supply chains in remote regions. The women use these products for both their businesses and their homes. The money saved on fuel enables the women to repay the loans. This empowers women to drive the energy transition in India and earn their own living.
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Taking responsibility for ongoing emissions
The SBTi encourages companies to direct their contributions to high-integrity projects that deliver significant climate impact and provide social and environmental co-benefits, especially in regions that are most affected by the negative effects of climate change and have limited access to capital. By delivering verified emissions reductions alongside tangible social benefits, social impact projects help companies take responsibility for their ongoing emissions now.
Guide: Beyond carbon offsetting - an investment that pays off
This guide explains how the voluntary carbon market works, how certified climate projects create impact, and how companies can take responsibility for ongoing emissions.
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