[Stoves] News (Uganda): Government official cautions on standards for cookstoves (aDALYs next?)

[Nikhil Desai]

Dear Ron:

You wrote a few days ago that the ISO TC 285 work was not meant to imply
any kind of enforcement.  Something like "enforcement" was a long way off.

To me, there is no "voluntary" standard at the national level. Either you
have a standard or you don't. Voluntary ratings system like Energy Star in
the US is complementary to appliance standards but not a standard in
itself. Some standards may also be according to size/design - such as for
refrigerators - and may be at the corporate average level (for passenger
vehicles, say).

I will have to check on WTO rules. True, an ISO TC may propose a standard
that national members may or may not adopt. However, it is in the very
nature of WTO rules and ISO mandate that countries adopt product standards
and enforce them in order to facilitate smooth international trade.
Pertinent legal issues merit an investigation.

The story below suggests that Uganda is prepared to respond to the East
Africa Global Alliance on Cookstoves for mandatory standards. Who knows,
taxation of imported cookstoves may lead to a trade war with Trump.

I also wonder if Gold Standard and GACC would have to register aDALYs as a
product with national standards agencies and if any standards can be
applied to aDALYs.

Nikhil
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*Gov't official cautions on standards for cookstoves
<https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1462509/gov-official-cautions-standards-cook-stoves>*,
New Vision, 27 September 2017

Wilson Wafula, the acting commissioner in the Ministry of Energy and
Minerals Development, says "The standards should be enforced after the
Uganda National Bureau of Standards has approved the product."

"The commissioner was backed by the regional representative of East Africa
Global Alliance on Cook stoves, Daniel Wanjohi who said any cook stove must
meet the mandatory standards.

Wanjohi enumerated benefits of standardization as growing the market,
discourage open fire and product uptake will go up among others."
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