Unlocking Africa’s Climate Wealth through High-Integrity Carbon Markets
Africa’s immense natural wealth – from tropical forests and mangroves to grasslands and peatlands – holds the key to the planet’s climate resilience. Yet, tapping into this wealth has long been hindered by limited access to finance and fragmented carbon governance.
The Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS), taking place in Johannesburg, seeks to change that narrative by positioning Africa at the heart of high-integrity carbon trading.
Hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with AUDA-NEPAD as strategic institutional partner and One Carbon World as the official climate impact partner, CMAS represents the first continental event fully dedicated to unlocking Africa’s carbon value through integrity, investment, and impact.
According to Maxwell Gomera, Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub: “Carbon markets can unlock billions in finance for the continent. With the right partnerships and governance, Africa can convert its natural wealth into climate-resilient growth and jobs.”
Collaboration at the core of climate progress
The Summit’s theme – collaboration – is reflected in its sponsors and partners, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. TASC, an award-winning developer of high-impact carbon projects, serves as the Diamond Sponsor, while FSD Africa, SGS, and Trees for the Future support as Gold Sponsors. GIZ and Carbon Coin join as Silver Sponsors, highlighting the growing coalition of actors driving Africa’s low-carbon transformation.
Shelley Estcourt, CEO Africa at TASC, explains: “Our projects are having a monumental impact at a grassroots level, all this enabled through carbon finance.” Her sentiment echoes across the Summit, where private-sector leadership and community partnerships are seen as the engines of Africa’s climate ambition.
Francesca Cerchia, Global Head of Climate Solutions at SGS, adds: “We need to make sure Africa is at the centre of voluntary carbon market development.” This is no small feat, given the global competition for climate finance, but Africa’s natural capital and innovation potential make it uniquely positioned to lead.
For Madeleine Garlick, Africa Director at One Carbon World, partnership is paramount: “African innovators are leading the market now, but with collaboration, we can achieve the scale needed to ensure it delivers for everybody.”
Scaling Africa’s carbon solutions
The CMAS is expected to attract over 280 policymakers, investors, and project developers from 40 countries. With participation from nine African governments – including Comoros, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda – the Summit is a vivid demonstration of continental solidarity. It will feature 14 innovative carbon projects, five of which are currently raising capital, spotlighting Africa’s transition from ambition to execution.
Chidalu Onyenso, Founder and CEO of Earthbond (Nigeria), summarises this approach succinctly: “The carbon economy is global, but its solutions are local.” From soil carbon projects in East Africa to mangrove restoration along West Africa’s coasts, the continent’s diversity of ecosystems offers unparalleled opportunities for credible, high-impact carbon projects.
Nicole Dewing, Co-Founder of Africa Carbon & Commodities (Senegal), underlines how circular economy models tie into this vision: “High-integrity plastic credits can underwrite a circular economy where communities earn, oceans recover and investment delivers verifiable impact.” Such projects link carbon finance to tangible community benefits, ensuring that climate action supports livelihoods and resilience.
A just and inclusive transition
At its core, CMAS is about enabling a just transition – one that balances carbon reduction with social equity and economic empowerment. Its programme includes ministerial and investor roundtables, technical workshops, and sector dialogues on themes such as blue carbon, renewable energy, cookstove innovations, nature-based solutions, and urban circularity.
Gabriel Labbate, Global Team Leader of the UN-REDD Programme (UNEP), emphasises the importance of tangible outcomes: “Initiatives like the REDD+ Investments in Africa Roundtable at CMAS are crucial to bridging the gap between supply and demand and turning ambition into implementation.” The session is expected to facilitate partnerships that align REDD+ initiatives with voluntary and compliance markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Daniel Okoth, Head of Carbon at SunCulture (Kenya), highlights the human element behind these efforts: “We’re not just creating carbon credits, we’re creating climate-smart livelihoods.” That connection between people and planet sits at the heart of Africa’s carbon journey, where smallholder farmers, local communities, and indigenous custodians play an essential role in managing and protecting ecosystems.
Marc Baker, Director of Carbon Tanzania, notes the momentum: “We are at an inflection point in the carbon markets, with growth, increasing integrity and the emergence of Article 6.2 providing opportunities for scale.” This marks a pivotal moment for Africa, where the foundations for transparent and credible carbon trading systems are being laid.
The integrity imperative
As carbon markets grow, ensuring integrity becomes non-negotiable. Africa’s credibility in the global market depends on robust verification, transparent governance, and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. Organisations like SGS and GIZ are playing a critical role in standardising processes and ensuring that carbon credits represent real, measurable, and additional emission reductions.
Integrity also means avoiding the pitfalls of “carbon colonialism,” where external actors dominate the market to the detriment of local stakeholders. The CMAS agenda includes sessions on local ownership models and regulatory frameworks designed to protect African interests while meeting international compliance standards.
FSD Africa’s involvement is particularly important here, as it champions financial innovation that ensures climate finance flows to where it is most needed. By promoting blended finance, de-risking mechanisms, and green bonds, FSD Africa supports a sustainable pipeline of carbon projects that can attract institutional investors.
Transforming Africa’s natural capital into climate wealth
Africa’s vast reserves of natural capital are estimated to store billions of tonnes of carbon. If managed sustainably, these ecosystems can become the backbone of the continent’s climate economy, generating revenue streams that fund conservation, rural development, and green infrastructure.
Key opportunity areas include:
- Blue carbon projects that restore mangroves and coastal wetlands, essential for both carbon sequestration and coastal protection.
- Nature-based solutions that integrate reforestation, biodiversity conservation, and soil restoration.
- Circular economy initiatives that monetise waste reduction and recycling through verified plastic credits.
- Energy transition projects such as clean cookstove programmes that improve public health and reduce emissions.
These initiatives not only mitigate carbon but also create ripple effects across health, education, and economic development. By 2030, Africa’s participation in global carbon markets could channel tens of billions of dollars annually into climate-positive growth.
Building momentum for a sustainable future
The Carbon Markets Africa Summit arrives at a critical juncture. As global demand for carbon credits grows, Africa stands ready to shape the rules of engagement. The summit’s outcomes are expected to inform national strategies, strengthen regional collaboration, and establish a blueprint for transparent, inclusive, and high-integrity carbon market participation.
Africa’s path to climate prosperity lies not just in its resources, but in its readiness to lead. With the right partnerships, governance frameworks, and community engagement, the continent can transform its environmental wealth into sustainable prosperity.
As the world looks to Africa for climate solutions, CMAS offers a clear message: collaboration, integrity, and innovation will be the catalysts that turn potential into progress.
