The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) has announced a series of initiatives to elevate Africa’s role in global carbon markets and ensure they deliver both climate and development benefits for the continent.
The announcements were made at a high-level continental dialogue convened in collaboration with the government of Kenya and Afreximbank, with support from the UK.
Throughout the consultation, AUDA-NEPAD engaged directly with senior representatives from African Union member states, including Madagascar, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, and the DRC, which shared the experiences, challenges, and aspirations in navigating carbon markets. Member States emphasise the vital role AUDA-NEPAD can play — leveraging its continental mandate to promote greater cohesion, alignment, and technical support across the region.
In parallel, perspectives from global standard-setters such as the VCMI and ICVCM, rating agencies like BeZero, and leading project developers offered valuable insights into how African priorities can be better reflected in global frameworks.
AUDA-NEPAD has unveiled three major outcomes designed to advance Africa’s carbon market ambitions:
- The African Integrity & Equity Principles for Carbon Markets — a pioneering framework articulating Africa’s vision for high-integrity, socially inclusive carbon markets. These principles, which will be shaped through broad stakeholder engagement, place social value at the core of market participation. A draft will be presented for formal consultation at the Africa Climate Summit 2 in Addis Ababa (9–12 September).
- A Continental Coordinating Mechanism — comprising technical experts and focal points from across the 55 AU Member States and regional carbon market alliances. This mechanism will reduce fragmentation, promote shared priorities, and strengthen Africa’s collective voice in global carbon market negotiations, thereby fostering a more coherent, transparent, and investable environment.
- A Digital Tracking Platform for Article 6 Readiness — currently under development, this tool will offer real-time insights into country-level progress. It will enable governments, the private sector, and development partners to identify opportunities, monitor implementation, and direct capacity-building support where most needed. In addition, the platform will support the development of a continent-wide glossary of carbon market terminology, enhancing consistency and alignment with international best practices.