Ibrahim Tsheleng, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Finance and Stakeholder Engagement, has said Africa is strategically poised to benefit from an expanded global carbon trading market.
Schelling said this during a panel discussion at the first edition of the Carbon Markets Africa Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to him, Africa has a strong comparative advantage in securing a fair share in global carbon trade, provided the right structures are put in place.
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Schelling said: “Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on carbon markets presents a unique opportunity for African countries to influence global carbon market systems and pricing frameworks.
“By developing domestic carbon market policies and regulations supported by law, African countries can guarantee sustainability and strengthen investor confidence to attract private capital. Such frameworks also ensure appropriate profit-sharing mechanisms, benefiting not only international buyers but also local communities.”
The Presidential Aide further said that integrating carbon markets into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Development Plans (NDPs) will help African countries access the critical climate and carbon financing needed to achieve their development objectives.
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He stressed the importance of ensuring transparency through strong policy and institutional alignment as well as robust measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems. Building institutional and human capacity is essential to prevent carbon markets in Africa from following the path of extractive industries, which have historically denied the continent equitable returns, he said.
Schelling highlighted that Africa could mobilize more than $6 billion annually in climate finance by 2030, while also creating more than 30 million jobs for the continent's growing youth population.
The summit brought together carbon market investors, developers and policymakers from across the continent to discuss strategies to leverage carbon markets to advance Africa's sustainable development and decarbonization goals.
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Schelling outlined a number of key steps for Africa to effectively harness the opportunities in global carbon trading. According to him, strong policy foundation, community inclusion, private participation and financing increase.
Moving forward, they called for aligning national strategies with global carbon market standards ahead of COP30, expanding capacity-building initiatives for governments and project developers, promoting regional collaboration and knowledge sharing, and promoting Africa-led, high-integrity carbon projects that deliver tangible benefits for both communities and the climate.
