Deep dives into carbon policy, investment & innovation.
Explore the agenda driving Africa’s carbon markets forward.
Programme overview
Select a day
CARBON 101
Designed as a strategic primer, this pre-conference CARBON 101 offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to the architecture of carbon markets - from international frameworks and African policy landscapes to credit integrity and investment fundamentals.
We’ll explore how leading standards now embed social and environmental safeguards, ensure community inclusion, and address equity and benefit-sharing. With a spotlight on controversies and lessons learned, the session offers a balanced view of integrity that aligns both climate and justice goals.
High-Impact Dialogue
As part of CMAS 2025’s mission to catalyse high-integrity, African-led carbon markets, this High-Level
Dialogue will convene a strategically diverse group of market actors to explore a defining question:
What must trustworthy carbon markets look like – and how can they be designed to deliver faster, fairer, and
more verifiable impact?
Presented by:
Dominic Wilhelm, Executive Director, The Global Trust Project, South Africa
Participants will:
• Map where trust breaks down across the carbon value chain
• Explore governance, inclusion, and verification challenges
• Prototype tools and frameworks that operationalise trust
KEYNOTE OPENING SESSION - Scaling Carbon Markets for Africa’s Sustainable Growth Amid a Shifting Global Landscape
As the global carbon landscape evolves through shifting geopolitics, financial realignments, and rising integrity demands, Africa emerges as a strategic frontier — rich in natural assets, climate ambition, and untapped potential. The continent now has a pivotal opportunity to define its own carbon trajectory, attract meaningful investment, and align carbon market growth with the priorities of climate resilience, equity, and sustainable development.
Master of Ceremony: Candice Stevens, Founder and CEO, Sustainable Finance Coalition, South Africa
Sponsored by:
• Fenella Aouane, Managing Director – Head of Carbon Pricing, Global Green Growth Institute, Luxembourg (V)
• Sandra Lindström, Head of International Climate Cooperation, Swedish Energy Agency
• Maxwell Gomera, Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub, Africa Region, UNDP
• Estherine Lisinge Fotabong, Director, Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability, African Union Development Agency – NEPAD, South Africa
• Storm Patel, Commercial Director, TASC, South Africa
Guests:
• Caroline Tixier, Climate and Environmental Counsellor, European Union Delegation to South Africa
• Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President – Impact, Environmental Defence Fund, USA
• Is Africa’s carbon strategy aligned with global frameworks like Article 6?
• What role should the G20 play in Africa’s carbon market development?
• How can Africa ensure global standards reflect local realities?
• What partnerships are needed to scale investment and demand?
• How can Africa present a united front ahead of COP30?
Sponsored by:
Udongo Mzuri Biochar Carbon project – Kenya
Fidoh Kens Ochieng, CEO, WICCARE Africa, Kenya
LIsaac Bosire, Environmental Expert, WICCARE Africa, Kenya
AFRICA’S CARBON MARKET FRAMEWORKS: TURNING POLICY INTO ACTION
As African countries move from climate ambition to implementation, regulatory clarity is becoming the cornerstone of carbon market development. This session explores how national frameworks are evolving postCOP29, what integration of Article 6 looks like on the ground, and how public-private collaboration can drive effective execution.
• How are countries turning Article 6 commitments into national policy and legal frameworks?
• What’s working in terms of national registries - and where are the gaps
• What’s next for South Africa’s Carbon Tax and how this could serve as a continental model?
• What will it take to operationalise post-COP29 standards within African regulatory systems?
Olu Ademuwagun, Chief Executive Officer, Noblesse Green Energy, Nigeria
Akwaaba Project - Ghana
Lorenzo Mandias, Business Development Manager Nature-based Solutions, Shell, Netherlands Ago-Owu Forest Reserve Carbon Investment Project (AFRP) - Nigeria
Carbon Markets in Motion – Key Signals from 2025
A 10-minute data-led overview of the latest demand, pricing, and integrity trends shaping global and African carbon credit markets.
PANEL DISCUSSION: Carbon Gold Rush? Navigating Demand, Pricing & Buyer Expectations
• What trends are shaping global and African carbon credit demand in 2025-2030?
• What does “high integrity” look like to a buyer in 2025?
• What’s hot in sectors, standards, and credit types - what are buyers really looking for in African credits?
• What’s driving pricing in African carbon markets - and what constitutes a fair price for African credits?
FIRESIDE CHAT: Navigating CORSIA: Opportunities for Africa in the Global Aviation Market
• What role will CORSIA play in shaping demand for African credits? How can African airlines and governments effectively engage in CORSIA-aligned credit generation?
• How can African airlines and governments effectively engage in CORSIA-aligned credit generation?
• What lessons can be drawn from early movers like Kenya Airways in navigating CORSIA frameworks?
• What opportunities exist for African project developers within the aviation-linked carbon market?
Biomass Conversion Technology project – South Africa
This closed-door dialogue is designed to encourage candid discussion, strengthen political coordination, and foster regional leadership in shaping Africa’s carbon market future.
Sponsored by:
HIGH INTEGRITY IN PRACTICE – STANDARDS, VERIFICATION & MARKET TRUST
As integrity becomes the currency of carbon markets, questions around standards, verification, and local ownership are taking centre stage. This session explores the implications of evolving frameworks like Verra, Gold Standard, and Article 6.4, while addressing Africa’s capacity to build trusted, locally grounded systems for certification and market oversight.
Moderator: Olivia Tuchten, Principal Climate Change Advisor, Promethium Carbon, South Africa
Sponsored by:
• How can verification bottlenecks be addressed through local capacity building?
• What’s needed to build high-integrity carbon markets in the African context?
• Should Africa build its own certification and registry ecosystem - and if so, how?
Welcome Drinks
Sponsored by:
INVESTOR ROUNDTABLES CONNECTING CLIMATE CAPITAL WITH SCALABLE CARBON SOLUTIONS
The Investor Roundtables aim to create a focused and dynamic setting where a select group of carbon market investors and financiers can present their funds, strategies, and investment opportunities to both potential capital partners and carbon project developers. This unique format facilitates dual engagement - fostering collaboration among investors while offering developers practical insights into accessing finance. The goal: to accelerate the flow of capital into Africa’s carbon pipeline and support the scale-up of high-integrity, investable climate solutions.
FINANCING AFRICA’S CARBON PIPELINE – DE-RISKING, SCALING & INNOVATING
SCALING IMPACT: UNLOCKING CAPITAL FOR AFRICA’S CLIMATE TRANSITION From designing investment-ready carbon projects to mobilising private capital and managing long-term revenue risks, this track brings together impactful leaders, project developers, and financiers to address both sides of the investment equation. Through strategic discussions and curated project showcases, we explore how Africa can scale high-integrity climate solutions - and how capital can be deployed to accelerate the continent’s just transition.
• Colin Porteous, CEO, Peace Parks Foundation, South Africa
• What does investor-ready actually mean in carbon markets?
• How can carbon finance be de-risked to unlock investment?
• Is carbon revenue bankable? Lessons from off-take deals, insurance, and guarantees
• How can blended finance unlock early-stage carbon projects in Africa?
• What do investors need before backing carbon projects?
• Which structures are enabling large-scale capital flows?
• How are risk and return evaluated in today’s market?
• When will serious private capital enter at scale?
Breakaway
Sponsored by:
This workshop unpacks what it truly means to be “investor-ready” in today’s carbon markets. Through practical insights from developers and financiers, participants will explore financial structuring, risk allocation, and the building blocks of credible, fundable carbon project models.
• Designing bankable carbon project models
• Risk-return expectations and common pitfalls
• Insights from investors, project developers
This session is designed for carbon project developers and technical advisors seeking to attract investment, as well as climate-focused investors and DFIs looking to engage with early-stage pipelines.
WORKSHOP 3 – Demystifying Carbon Project Certification
What developers need to know to get certified.
Long timelines, limited local verification bodies, and unclear certification pathways are slowing down Africa’s ability to meet growing global demand for high-integrity carbon credits.
Through practical insights and real-world case studies, this session breaks down the project cycle, validation requirements, and verification processes. Experts will clarify how to work with standards bodies and avoid common bottlenecks in carbon credit issuance.
• Step-by-step of certification & MRV
• How to choose and apply the right methodology
• Working effectively with verifiers and standard-setting bodies
• Common bottlenecks and how to avoid them
• Tools and strategies to accelerate timelines and reduce costs
Sponsored by:
This workshop is designed for African corporates and SMEs looking to understand the business case for engaging in carbon markets. Learn how to assess opportunity, build internal capacity, and identify viable market entry points.
• Where are the entry points for African corporates in carbon markets?
• How to align your business model with carbon revenue streams
• From buyer to developer: what roles can companies play across the value chain?
• Examples of African businesses leading in carbon market engagement
WORKSHOP 4 - Building Domestic Voluntary Carbon Markets
What it takes to design credible, investable voluntary carbon markets at the national level.
As African countries look to raise carbon finance from voluntary carbon markets to support priority infrastructure development, this workshop explores key aspects of the market and in particular the demand and supply sides anchored in national programs. Drawing from work done on the models like South Africa’s, the session will unpack practical steps to establish market ecosystems, ensure alignment with global standards, and the alignment required among investors and stakeholders. Through work done to date, participants will be able to understand the core building blocks of a viable domestic carbon market.
• Demand and Supply sides
• How this interacts with Article 6 and Carbon taxes
• Domestic registries and MRV systems
• Aligning with international standards while enabling local participation
• Case study
SECTOR-FOCUSED DIALOGUE
A dialogue at the intersection of clean energy, climate finance, health, and inclusive development.
Engaging coastal governments, conservation finance experts, blue carbon project developers, marine scientists, and policy leaders working to scale Africa’s ocean-based climate solutions.
Sponsored by:
Featuring voices from project developers, Indigenous and local actors, investors, standard bodies, and government agencies in land use and environment.
A conversation on turning urban systems into engines of low-carbon growth and circular innovation.
CLOSING SESSION - Recommendations for COP30
What should Africa take to the COP30 table? This forward-looking session distills collective insights from the Summit into strategic recommendations to inform the continent’s engagement in global carbon market negotiations and climate finance discussions.Key themes:
Policy, Regulation & African Leadership: Unlocking carbon markets as a lever for Africa’s net-zero and development goals
Global Trends & Market Signals: Assessing geopolitical dynamics, buyer expectations, market data
Financing the Future: Mobilising continental & global capital, innovative finance, and investor engagement
Market Integrity & Standards: Ensuring credibility, trust, and transparency in Africa’s carbon landscape.
Regional & Continental Cooperation: Uniting private and public actors for collective impact
From Projects to Pipelines: Scaling investment-ready, high-Integrity carbon initiatives
Beyond Carbon: Co-benefits (Biodiversity, Social, Economic, Educational),
MEET THE ADVISORY BOARD
Andrew Gilder
Director, Climate Legal, South Africa
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Andrew Gilder is one of South Africa’s leading private sector environmental, climate change and carbon markets lawyer – he is a Director of Climate Legal, with more than twenty-three years’ legal practice experience specialising in climate change (mitigation and adaptation), climate finance and development, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance. His practical experience extends over a range of African jurisdictions, including advice to public and private sectors on the development and implementation of climate change, climate finance, carbon markets, carbon tax, environmental and energy law, policy and governance as well as regulatory and transactional advice to industries, foreign embassies and municipalities on the implementation of infrastructure development projects. His practical experience includes advising government, businesses and industries on climate change policy development and its implications, including climate change business risks and opportunities, assessing commercial relationships against evolving climate change policy and regulation and relevant contractual considerations, as well as advising on, negotiating and drafting of commercial contracts required to secure financial and logistical positions in the carbon market. He is also responsible for drafting the South African Climate Change Act 2024, for the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, together with related legal instruments, and was extensively involved in South Africa’s adaptation legal and policy alignment process. Andrew has worked on climate change legislation and strategy in Zimbabwe, Thailand, Mongolia, The Seychelles and the Southern African Development Community and has been recognised as a leading lawyer by PLC Which Lawyer? 2012 (Environment, South Africa), Best Lawyers 2018, 2020–24 (Environment, South Africa) and Chambers and Partners 2021–2024 (Environment, South Africa), and was shortlisted for an African Legal Award, in 2015. Andrew is the co-editor and co-author of three seminal works in the South African climate change and carbon market arena, namely: Climate Change Law and Governance in South Africa (Juta, 2016) (South Africa’s first comprehensive treatise on climate change law and governance), Concise Guide to Carbon Tax (LexisNexis, October 2020) and Comprehensive Guide to Carbon Tax (LexisNexis, March 2022).
Bianca Gichangi
Regional Lead - Africa, VCMI, Kenya
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Bianca is the Regional Lead for Africa at the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI). She recently completed a secondment as a Carbon Markets Advisor to the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change in the Executive Office of the President of Kenya. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in shaping Kenya's policy and regulatory framework in alignment with the President’s vision of attracting carbon finance for Kenya’s green growth. She also organized the inaugural Kenya Carbon Markets Conference in March 2024, bringing together key stakeholders in a collective effort to participate in high integrity carbon markets. Now back at VCMI, her role focuses on leading delivery of VCMI strategy across Africa, including the scale up of VCMI’s access strategies . Prior to VCMI, Bianca was the Coordinator of the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance where she led capacity building activities on carbon markets for government and non-state actors. Her experience also extends to serving as a Lead Coordinator and negotiator for Article 6 for the Kenya Delegation at climate change negotiations.
Brett Stacey
Director, Carbon Zero Verification Limited, UK
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Brett Stacey has more than 30 years of experience in Financial and Commodity markets. He was part of the team that set up the futures exchange in South Africa and held the position of Deputy Chairman for several years. He founded the first derivative broking business in South Africa, which was eventually sold to Flemings Bank and later JP Morgan. After emigrating to the UK, he started the Carbon Desk, which was the largest independent broker on the Climate Exchange until the demise of the market in 2011. Brett has also advised on the development of the trading platform and registry and continues to build the team to ensure the integrity and functioning of the trading and registry system for our clients.
Mathis Granjon
Trader, Green Steps, Netherlands
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Mathis Granjon is Head of Carbon Markets at Green Steps, where he leads the company’s carbon trading and sourcing strategy. With a background in mathematics and science from ECSP, he began his career as an LNG trader at Tamoli before moving into hedge fund fundraising in the US. His combined experience in energy trading and finance equips him to navigate the evolving carbon markets with both commercial insight and a strong focus on sustainability.
Dr. Olufunso Somorin
Regional Principal Officer, AfDB, Kenya
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Dr. Olufunso Somorin is a Regional Principal Officer at the African Development Bank. He leads the Bank’s work on climate change and green growth in the 13 countries of the Bank’s East African region. This includes supporting countries’ access to climate finance for climate actions, and mainstreaming climate change in policies and programs. He leads strategic dialogues with public and private institutions on policy frameworks for managing local/regional socio-economic issues, climate change, renewable energy, carbon markets, infrastructure, ESG and inclusive growth. Between 2013 and 2017, he coordinated the Bank’s work on addressing fragility and building resilience within the Horn of Africa. In the last 13+ years in the Bank, he has been directly involved in the design, appraisal, and supervision of more than 300 development projects across multiple sectors, worth more than USD 20 billion. Over the last 17 years, Dr Somorin has published more than 50 articles on climate policy in Africa and has spoken at 300+ conferences and events.
Olivia Tuchten
Principal Climate Change Advisor, Promethium Carbon, South Africa
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Olivia Tuchten is a Director at the Promethium group of companies, which is a multi-disciplinary team of independent and passionate carbon and climate change advisors.
She represents Promethium on the Executive Committee of the Project Developer Forum, a collaborative association of companies and practitioners that are developing and financing greenhouse gas emission reduction projects around the world, as well as the ISO Technical Committee 207 (Environmental Management). In her personal capacity, she is a UNFCCC nominated expert and was also on the Article 6.4 Mechanism Roster of Experts as a “Methodologies Expert” until March 2025.
She holds a Masters in Business Administration and undertook her research dissertation on the advantages of strategic alliances in the South African renewable energy industry, with specific reference to the first phase of the recent Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme undertaken in South Africa to drive development of the renewables sector.
She has worked in the climate sector for over 15 years, and has been involved in the development, registration and issuance of carbon offset projects for this length of time. Her passion is to develop and grow carbon markets in Southern Africa and across the continent.
Reshma Shah
Lead, Carbon Markets, FSD Africa, Kenya
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Reshma Shah is a strategic and impact-driven leader with over 20 years’ experience spanning sustainability, finance, risk, and business strategy. She has worked extensively across Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on the finance, infrastructure, and extractives sectors — and a growing emphasis on nature-based economies and climate solutions.
Reshma currently leads the Carbon Centre of Expertise at FSD Africa, where she is shaping the future of carbon markets across the continent. She drives strategy, policy engagement, and innovative financing models to unlock climate capital and scale high-integrity carbon markets. Her work supports both nature-based sectors — including forestry, agriculture, and land use — and technological sectors, helping them access carbon finance and deliver high-quality, verifiable credits with strong co-benefits for communities and biodiversity.
She works closely with governments, regulators, and private sector actors to build enabling environments, strengthen ecosystems, and embed environmental and social integrity into market design.
Previously, Reshma served as Sustainability Director at Equity Group, the largest financial institution in East and Central Africa, where she integrated ESG across operations and advanced sustainable finance, climate resilience, and inclusive growth.
Her expertise spans sustainable finance, ESG and climate risk, mergers and acquisitions, stakeholder engagement, and shared prosperity models that balance commercial, technical, environmental, and socio-economic outcomes. She is known for her ability to navigate complex systems, forge impactful partnerships, and deliver tangible, scalable results.
Reshma holds an Economics degree from the University of Manchester, an Executive MBA from École des Ponts ParisTech, and certifications in sustainable finance and climate from Cambridge University and ICMA. She is also a UK-qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser.
Lawrence Cole-Morgan
Global Markets: Lead, Carbon Credit Trading, Standard bank
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Lawrence Cole-Morgan holds a law degree from the University of Birmingham and is a UK-qualified solicitor. He has also recently obtained a master’s degree in Environmental and Energy Law, also from the University of Birmingham. Lawrence spent 5 years as a banking and finance lawyer with leading English and New York law firms before moving into banking, where he worked in structured finance for Bankers Trust and Deutsche in London, Singapore, and Tokyo. In 2010, Lawrence joined Standard Bank’s Investment Banking team, where he worked on numerous financing transactions, and in 2022, he moved to the Global Markets division of Standard Bank to set up the bank’s carbon credit trading and finance business.
Heather McEwan
Regional Representative, Africa, and the Middle East - Strategy, Policy, and Markets Department, Verra
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BIO TBC
Andrew Ocama
Coordinator, Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate finance
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Andrew Ocama is a seasoned sustainable development professional with more than 14 years’ experience in the carbon markets. He has served in several carbon asset development management and consulting roles in the region and led teams to remarkable degrees of measurable success in both the Gold Standard and CDM. He is a long-standing supporter of the Alliance and has been available to contribute to several consultations regarding carbon market systems formation especially with regard to Article 6. He took on the role of the Alliance coordinator in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is leading on the implementation of the organizational strategy, institutional growth, and the delivery of projects, mainly country structural priorities, with regard to readiness for carbon markets access and climate finance. He most recently served as an embedded Climate Finance Advisor working with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in Ethiopia supporting the Ministry of Planning and Development in the development of systems for carbon markets and the sovereign wealth fund in the development of a climate strategy and a pipeline of projects. Before that, he served in Senior Management roles with Evidence Action, leading in the issuance of more than 2.4 million carbon credits certified under the CDM and Gold Standard. He previously led country programs for Co2balance in Uganda and Rwanda and has served as a consultant on development of African clean cooking and hydro power carbon projects with the South Pole Group.
Bernardin Uzayisaba
Carbon Market Programme Specialist, UNDP
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Bernardin Uzayisaba is a climate finance and carbon market expert with over 15 years of experience advancing sustainable development in Africa. As UNDP’s Regional Carbon Market Programme Specialist, he leads efforts to operationalize Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, mobilize investments, and structure high-integrity carbon credit systems across the continent. His success is amplified by his proven ability to build strong, cohesive teams, inspiring and empowering individuals to excel and collectively drive impactful outcomes.
Previously, Bernardin headed UNDP Rwanda’s Sustainable Growth Unit, where he mobilized millions in climate finance for clean cooking, ecosystem restoration, and community-led resilience projects. He also coordinated the development of Rwanda’s first Disaster Risk Atlas.
Holding Master’s degrees in Water Resources and Environmental Management and Climate Change, Development, and Policy. Bernardin blends policy acumen with technical depth. A published author and thought leader in climate-resilient development and carbon markets, he is committed to scaling clean technologies, nature-based solutions, and green finance to unlock Africa’s climate potential. He is Fluent in English and French.
Maxime Bayen
Operating Partner, Catalyst Fund
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BIO TBC
Javier Manzanares
CEO, ALLEN MANZA
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BIO TBC
Ibrahim Shelleng
Senior Special Assistant to the President, Government of Nigeria
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BIO TBC
Ritah Rukundo
Manager -Global Carbon Market Project, Uganda & Eastern Africa, GIZ
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BIO TBC
Hubert Ruzibiza
Founder, Climate Prosperity Center – Africa, Rwanda
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BIO TBC
Storm Patel
Commercial Director, TASC
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Dr Storm Patel is a climate and carbon markets specialist with over 13 years of experience bridging science, policy, and commercial strategy. She is currently the Commercial Director at TASC, a leading carbon finance and project developer with strong roots in Africa.
She leads TASC’s commercial strategy, which involves building and managing a diverse international buyer network, originating and structuring carbon credit transactions (spot and forward), and shaping the company’s positioning in compliance and voluntary markets – including Paris Agreement Article 6 and CORSIA-aligned frameworks.
Previously, Storm held a senior climate leadership role at a major industrial player, where she worked on the design and implementation of enterprise-wide climate strategies, including decarbonisation planning and policy engagement. She also chaired the Industry Task Team on Climate Change under the Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa.
Storm’s academic background combines a PhD in Chemistry with a Master’s in Business Administration, equipping her with a unique blend of technical depth and market insight to advancing scalable, private-sector-driven climate solutions.