Africa Sovereign Carbon Initiative: A New Carbon Pricing Experiment for Aviation and Shipping Beyond ICAO and IMO

renewablematter.eu

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

A new carbon pricing experiment from Africa, the Africa Sovereign Carbon Initiative (ASCI), is targeting emissions from international aviation and maritime transport that have proven difficult to regulate through global bodies like ICAO and IMO. The initiative, already operational in Djibouti and endorsed by Gabon and Liberia, levies $17 per tonne of CO2 on half of each international journey to and from participating countries. Revenues are funneled into sustainable development projects managed through a mixed public-private governance model, bypassing traditional UN mechanisms. While the EU ETS and CORSIA face implementation challenges and political opposition, ASCI offers a sovereign-led alternative for African nations. The scheme is promoted as compatible with Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement, though experts note its carbon pricing core may fall under Article 6.2 rules. The growing interest from countries like Kenya, Ghana, and Ivory Coast signals a shift away from reliance on multilateral frameworks, potentially influencing European and Chinese carbon market policies.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Interesting piece. So ASCI is basically a national carbon tax on international transport, but they call it a levy to avoid the tax label. $17/ton is low but the governance model is what makes it different.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Yeah, $17 is way below what the EU ETS is trading at, but for African countries it might be a starting point. The real question is how they enforce it and avoid double counting with CORSIA.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Djibouti already has projects running from the revenue. That part is promising if the money actually goes to local projects and not just admin fees. Would like to see project details though.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The Article 6.8 framing is clever but shaky. If you collect a levy from operators, that is a market interaction even if you call it non-market. The EU will watch this closely for CBAM implications.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The governance structure is odd. A private foundation runs the registry and sits on the board with member states. That creates a lot of potential for conflicts of interest. Who audits the auditors?

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Not directly related to buildings, but the revenue recycling model is interesting. If they can show concrete sustainable development outcomes, it might scale. Otherwise it is just another voluntary scheme.