By Abdullahi Lukman
A $100 million Africa Nature Impact Fund has been announced to support early-stage nature conservation and nature-based carbon projects across Africa, addressing funding gaps that often prevent viable initiatives from attracting investment.
The fund was unveiled at the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) 2026, held from October 13 to 15 at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. Established by Finance Earth, FSD Africa and FSD Africa Investments, the initiative has secured a £5 million cornerstone commitment from FSD Africa Investments and is targeting an initial fundraising close of $20 million in 2027.
The fund aims to provide capital for project preparation and development before projects begin generating revenue from carbon credit sales, a major financing challenge facing Africa’s emerging carbon markets.
The summit brought together government officials, investors, project developers, carbon credit buyers and technical experts to discuss financing opportunities, market access, project development and ways to ensure local communities benefit from carbon trading.
Participants examined investment opportunities in blue carbon, reforestation, agriculture, rangeland restoration and waste management, alongside financing arrangements, carbon credit pricing and agreements with prospective buyers.
Discussions also focused on strengthening policies, improving regional cooperation and ensuring African carbon projects meet international market requirements without compromising environmental integrity or community interests.
Rwanda’s Minister of Environment, Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, said the country was exploring a mechanism to channel part of the proceeds from carbon transactions through the Rwanda Green Fund to support the preparation and early financing of future projects.
Technical sessions at the summit addressed project authorisations, international standards, risk-sharing mechanisms, registry interoperability and the development of local verification capacity. Participants also examined digital monitoring and reporting tools to improve transparency and confidence in carbon credits.
On October 15, the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) launched Rwanda’s Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2.0, which outlines priorities for advancing sustainable finance through 2030.
The roadmap emphasises investment readiness, carbon finance and improved sustainability data.
KIFC Chief Executive Officer Hortense Mudenge said sustainable finance could support business expansion, job creation and economic resilience, while positioning Kigali as a centre for carbon aggregation and investment structuring.
The summit also highlighted the importance of credible carbon credits, independent verification and fair benefit-sharing arrangements.
Shikha Sharma, Global Technical Lead for Climate Solutions at SGS, said environmental integrity, reliable project assessments and community benefits were essential to building confidence in carbon markets.
Maxwell Gomera, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in South Africa and Director of the UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, urged stakeholders to translate the partnerships established at the summit into investment-ready projects and completed transactions.
He stressed that community rights and equitable benefit-sharing should be incorporated from the outset to ensure carbon market development supports local livelihoods alongside environmental goals.
Emmanuelle Nicholls, Portfolio Director at VUKA Group, said the broader objective was to develop carbon markets that finance Africa’s priorities and generate lasting benefits for its people.
The summit was hosted by Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment, with the UNDP and African Development Bank serving as host organisations. The Development Bank of Southern Africa was the host partner, while AUDA-NEPAD was among the supporting institutions.
The summit’s outcomes reflect growing efforts to attract private investment, strengthen project preparation and improve market infrastructure across Africa’s carbon sector.
Attention will now turn to converting the announced financing commitments and partnerships into viable projects, verifiable emissions reductions and measurable benefits for local communities.
