The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) and the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance (EAA) have formed a partnership aimed at helping East African countries build sustainable, equitable and high-integrity carbon markets.
The partnership will support governments in the region to develop the policies, institutional capacity and infrastructure needed to participate more effectively in voluntary carbon markets. The initiative will include assistance in developing national carbon-market strategies, regulatory frameworks and relevant public authorities.
Under the agreement, EAA member countries will receive technical assistance through VCMI’s Access Strategies programme, a global initiative designed to help emerging markets and developing economies develop credible carbon markets, mobilise climate finance and establish national policy frameworks.
VCMI will also provide on-the-ground support through regular engagement between its Kampala-based policy expert and EAA member states.
“East Africa is rapidly emerging as one of the most important regions globally for the supply of carbon credits, but the benefits must work both ways,” said Urbans Benywanira, Policy Associate at VCMI.
“Carbon markets can generate significant social and economic benefits for host countries in addition to emissions reductions, but only if governments are equipped to take the reins and provide an attractive environment for growing demand for credits. This partnership with EAA is designed to ensure countries in East Africa can participate meaningfully in high-integrity carbon markets.”
The agreement builds on earlier collaboration between the two organisations, including the release of an action plan titled Pathways for Strengthening Validation and Verification Body Capacity in Africa. The plan outlines nine measures intended to strengthen Africa’s carbon-credit market by addressing shortages of Africa-based validation and verification bodies.
According to the organisations, the limited number of such bodies contributes to as much as 50 percent of project delays across the continent, slowing the certification and issuance of carbon credits.
East Africa already accounts for around 10 percent of carbon credits issued in global voluntary markets. Between 2022 and 2025, projects in the region generated nearly 115 million credits, with Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia among the largest contributors.
Despite this progress, the organisations say the region and the wider continent have captured only a small portion of the available opportunity. Africa’s carbon-credit market has tapped an estimated 2 percent of its maximum potential capacity.
VCMI estimates that demand for high-integrity carbon credits from Europe alone could create a USD 1 billion opportunity for East Africa by 2030. The market could support as many as 1.7 million jobs while helping mobilise a portion of the estimated USD 1.3 trillion to USD 1.5 trillion African countries need to meet sustainable-development priorities.
The partnership will seek to ensure that carbon-market growth produces tangible benefits for host countries and local communities, including employment, investment, biodiversity protection and climate resilience, rather than serving only international buyers seeking to offset emissions.
Andrew Ocama, Coordinator of the Eastern Africa Alliance, said several East African countries were already benefiting from carbon markets, but that the region had used only a fraction of its potential.
“EAA’s partnership with VCMI marks a new phase in East Africa’s carbon-market trajectory as we work together to put in place the frameworks, policies and expertise needed to ensure carbon markets support both local communities and climate goals,” Ocama said. “We welcome VCMI’s commitment to this partnership.”
