By Faridat Salifu
As the global race for carbon finance intensifies, African nations are positioning themselves not just as credit suppliers but as leaders in shaping transparent, high-integrity carbon markets that truly benefit the continent’s people and ecosystems.
This commitment to credibility and impact takes centre stage at the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS), holding from 21 to 23 October in Johannesburg, where over 280 policymakers, investors, and project developers from 40 countries will explore how to build African-led climate finance systems.
Hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with AUDA-NEPAD as a strategic institutional partner and One Carbon World as an official climate impact partner, CMAS marks the continent’s first major forum fully devoted to developing Africa’s carbon economy through integrity, investment, and innovation.
“Carbon markets can unlock billions in finance for the continent,” said Maxwell Gomera, UNDP Resident Representative in South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub. “But the real opportunity lies in ensuring these markets are transparent, fair, and deliver tangible climate-resilient growth and jobs.”
Experts say Africa’s carbon future depends on collaboration and credibility rather than quick transactions.
Madeleine Garlick, Africa Director at One Carbon World, noted that “African innovators are leading the market now, but with collaboration, we can achieve the scale needed to ensure it delivers for everybody.”
That vision is backed by leading sponsors — including TASC, FSD Africa, SGS, GIZ, Carbon Coin, and Trees for the Future whose projects collectively demonstrate that community-driven models and measurable outcomes are key to sustainable carbon finance.
“Our projects are having a monumental impact at grassroots level all this enabled through carbon finance,” said Shelley Estcourt, CEO Africa at TASC.
Similarly, Francesca Cerchia of SGS stressed that “Africa must be at the centre of voluntary carbon market development.”
Beyond investment, CMAS is spotlighting integrity mechanisms and local innovation through technical sessions on nature-based solutions, blue carbon, energy access, and circular economies.
Among the participants are nine African governments including Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and the DRC and 14 active carbon projects, five of which are currently raising capital.
Chidalu Onyenso, Founder of Earthbond (Nigeria), observed that “the carbon economy is global, but its solutions are local,” while Senegal’s Nicole Dewing of Africa Carbon & Commodities added that “high-integrity plastic credits can underwrite a circular economy where communities earn, oceans recover and investment delivers verifiable impact.”
For Gabriel Labbate, Global Team Leader of the UN-REDD Programme (UNEP), the inclusion of the “REDD+ Investments in Africa Roundtable” within CMAS is proof that Africa’s carbon market is maturing. “These platforms are crucial to bridge the gap between supply and demand and turn ambition into implementation,” he said.
Kenya’s Daniel Okoth of SunCulture emphasised that the goal is broader than credit generation. “We’re not just creating carbon credits we’re creating climate-smart livelihoods,” he said, a view echoed by Carbon Tanzania Director Marc Baker, who noted that Africa is “at an inflection point with integrity, growth, and Article 6.2 opening new opportunities for scale.”
By pushing integrity, governance, and equity to the forefront, CMAS signals that Africa’s participation in the global carbon market will not be defined by dependency, but by design a shift from resource ownership to market leadership.
