Kenya launched a national carbon registry in Nairobi, seeking to position itself as a hub for high-integrity carbon credits as governments and buyers face growing scrutiny of carbon offset markets worldwide.
The registry was unveiled by the Ministry of Environment and the National Environment Management Authority, with officials saying it will act as a central platform for tracking carbon credit projects and verifying emissions reductions.
Kenyan officials said the system will be used to record project approvals, track emissions reductions, and authorize carbon credit transfers—functions they said are aimed at tackling double counting, a problem that has weakened confidence in carbon markets.
The announcement also framed the registry as a tool to align with international carbon trading rules tied to the Paris Climate agreement. That framework, signed just over a decade ago, sets temperature goals and requires countries to work within emissions-accounting rules so reductions are not counted twice.
Deborah Mlongo, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said the launch changes the narrative around the credibility of carbon credits. “Today, that narrative changes,” Mlongo said, adding that the launch sends “a clear signal to investors and the international community” that Kenya is “ready to participate in global carbon markets with transparency, integrity and strong governance.”
Officials said the registry would include mechanisms to ensure carbon trading accounts for projects in a way that supports local benefit and national reporting integrity. Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno said the system is designed to recognize communities, particularly those who conserve and protect forests, and to ensure they “are recognized and equitably benefit from carbon market participation.”
Kenya’s government said it is also building on existing forestry-related registry infrastructure, including a forestry carbon registry launched last year to support the country’s tree-growing program. The wider plan connects forest and renewable energy resources to carbon-credit generation and monitoring, according to officials.
Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s special climate envoy, said the registry would become the “backbone of an efficient market,” describing it as enabling tracking of projects, issuance of units and adjustments that strengthen trust in Kenya as a carbon market jurisdiction.
Officials said developers and investors have already shown strong interest, submitting more than 80 carbon project concept notes, and Kenya expects the registry to become fully operational this year. Germany, through its development agency GIZ, provided financial and technical support and announced an additional 2.4 million euros ($2.6 million) to strengthen Kenya’s carbon market readiness, the ministry said.