Sierra Leone carbon credits and CORSIA: Why the government may not be getting its fair share

A Sierra Leone cookstove project backed by Gunvor Group has secured CORSIA eligibility through private insurance, not through the country's own national registry. This means the credits trade at a higher price, but the government has limited control over the transaction. The article compares this to Zimbabwe's experience where sovereign-issued credits were ruled ineligible for CORSIA, creating a price gap of roughly $14 per tonne between the two pathways. For Sierra Leone, the window to push for sovereign registry recognition is still open. The government issued a Letter of Authorisation and has a live project generating CORSIA credits. But without a formal pathway for national registries, the country risks being sidelined in its own carbon market. The piece argues that Sierra Leone should join other African nations pressing ICAO to codify rules that allow sovereign transfers, before the market moves on without them.