The award-winning VUKA Group (www.WeareVuka.com) has formally launched the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS), a purpose-driven, high-level continental gathering that may happen from 21 to 23 October 2025 in Johannesburg. Designed as Africa’s flagship platform for carbon finance, CMAS brings collectively policymakers, traders, requirements our bodies, builders and corporates to drive sensible, inclusive local weather motion and unlock Africa’s carbon worth at scale.
Carbon markets are shortly turning into considered one of Africa’s most promising alternatives for local weather finance and sustainable improvement. But the complexity of validation, verification, regulation and monetisation continues to problem mission builders, financiers and governments alike.
“This isn’t mining or retail. The returns, timelines and necessities are completely different,” says Olivia Tuchten, Principal Local weather Change Advisor at Promethium Carbon. “There’s cash to be made and good to be executed – however provided that stakeholders upskill and perceive the method.”
CMAS is Africa’s response – a strategic occasion centered on constructing confidence, closing data gaps and accelerating actual transactions.
CMAS
Strategic Second: Africa’s Carbon Future and the International Agenda
The timing of CMAS is especially vital. With rising world momentum round carbon pricing and the operationalisation of Article 6, the outcomes of the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in November are anticipated to affect the longer term structure of world carbon markets.
Because the G20 debates points like carbon border adjustment mechanisms and worldwide credit score requirements, Africa have to be prepared to reply with a united, knowledgeable voice. CMAS supplies a platform for African stakeholders to strategically align, share technical insights, and sharpen positions – not just for G20, but in addition in preparation for COP30, the place local weather finance and carbon market governance will once more take centre stage.
“We’re in the fitting place and on the proper time right this moment to make sure that Africa advantages from carbon markets,” says Prof Anthony Nyong, Director of Local weather Change and Inexperienced Progress on the African Growth Financial institution.
A Distinctive Worth Proposition: What Units CMAS Aside
Pan-African Focus with International Attain: Prioritising African management whereas connecting to worldwide consumers, requirements and financiers. Ministerial Roundtable (21 October): A closed-door session convening African atmosphere, local weather and finance ministers to align coverage priorities and amplify Africa’s voice at COP30 and G20. Deal-Making Platforms: Investor roundtables, mission showcases, deep-dive workshops and curated networking designed to transform conversations into transactions. Integrity & Compliance: Navigate voluntary and compliance carbon markets with rigor, exploring Article 6, regional frameworks and world greatest follow. Challenge Visibility: Highlight on investable, Africa-based carbon initiatives with actual local weather and neighborhood impression. Pre-COP30 Momentum: CMAS will assist unify African market positions and technical readiness within the lead-up to multilateral local weather finance negotiations.
Advisory Board: A Multi-Sectoral Powerhouse
To make sure CMAS displays Africa’s various wants and alternatives in carbon markets, an influential advisory board has been convened, together with:
Andrew Gilder – Director, Local weather Authorized, South Africa Andrew Ocama – Jap Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Local weather Finance, Uganda Bianca Gichangi – Regional Lead – Africa, VCMI, Kenya Brett Stacey – Director, Carbon Zero Verification, United Kingdom Dr Olufunso Somorin – Regional Principal Officer, AfDB, Kenya Heather McEwan – Regional Consultant, Verra, South Africa Javier Mazanares – CEO, Allen Manza, Panama Lawrence Cole-Morgan – Carbon Credit score Buying and selling Lead, Commonplace Financial institution, South Africa Mathis Granjon – Dealer, Inexperienced Steps, Netherlands Maxime Bayen – Working Companion, Catalyst Fund, Spain Olivia Tuchten – Promethium Carbon, South Africa Reshma Shah – Lead, Carbon Markets, FSD Africa, Kenya Bernardin Uzayisaba, Carbon Market Programme Specialist, UNDP, South Africa Ibrahim Shelleng, Senior Particular Assistant to the President, Authorities of Nigeria
A Pathway to African Possession
“Africa continues to be not maximising its potential. We have to do issues otherwise,” says Olufunso Somorin, AfDB. “One of many challenges is that there are numerous good mission builders who’ve superb concepts, however they don’t have the useful resource to jumpstart their thought into an investable mission.” Somorin continues: “The AfDB has created the African Carbon Assist Facility, and we hope to begin off with a $100 million capitalisation.” Among the many objectives are supporting nations in the direction of market-creating coverage shifts, and the majority of the funds will present sources to mission builders and help in validation prices. “The AfDB needs to extend the variety of African-owned, African-based and African-led mission developments on the bottom,” he provides.
In accordance with Lawrence Cole-Morgan, Commonplace Financial institution, “the carbon markets present Africa with the power to monetise its vital carbon sequestration potential to fund socio-economic improvement and badly wanted adaptation, whereas making a significant contribution to combatting local weather change.”
In the meantime, Andrew Ocama, Jap Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Local weather Finance, is of the opinion that “every nation is at a special stage of readiness to actively take part within the carbon markets. To the seven Alliance nations, these markets are an essential avenue for finance owing to their accountability and the measurability of their outcomes.”
Occasion Particulars
21 October – Pre-Summit Day
Carbon 101 seminar Excessive-impact dialogue by the International Belief Challenge
22–23 October – Essential Summit
Plenaries Ministerial Roundtable Investor roundtables Palms-on workshops Sector-focused dialogues Deal-making and networking
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Organised by VUKA Group
With greater than 20 years of expertise delivering high-impact B2B occasions throughout Africa, VUKA Group is the impartial, B-BBEE-compliant power behind platforms like Africa’s Inexperienced Financial system Summit, Enlit Africa, Smarter Mobility Africa, and DRC Mining Week.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vuka Group.
