The African Union's agriculture and environment commissioner, Moses Vilakati, warned that weak governance in Africa's carbon markets could allow heavy emitters to greenwash while local communities see little benefit. Speaking at a high-level training for diplomats in Addis Ababa, he stressed the need for rigorous frameworks that ensure benefit sharing with indigenous groups and legally enforceable consent. The training, organized by the African Capacity Building Foundation and the AU Commission, covered community safeguards, compliance versus voluntary markets, and regulatory models like the EU ETS. Analysts project that Article 6 decisions from COP29 could unlock up to $1 trillion annually in climate finance by 2050. But without strong oversight, carbon offset revenues may not reach the communities that host projects. The AU is pushing for continental frameworks like the Africa Action Plan on Carbon Markets to guide member states and prevent greenwashing. The article is relevant for anyone tracking carbon market integrity, Article 6 implementation, and how African nations are positioning themselves in the global offset trade.
