In the run-up to the inaugural Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) in Johannesburg, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for a bold shift from talk to action on Africa’s energy and climate challenges. “How is it possible that in 2025, when we can send people to the moon and create driverless vehicles, we still haven’t solved the problem of cooking energy in Africa’s rural areas?” asks Maxwell Gomera, UNDP South Africa’s Resident Representative and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub. For him, the solution lies in harnessing high-integrity carbon markets to mobilise the finance needed to accelerate climate action and ensure fair benefits for communities.
Gomera says Africa “no longer waits for promises to be kept — we act,” arguing that carbon markets could unlock billions of dollars, strengthen institutions and speed up progress towards both the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. He believes a unified continent can seize this moment to own its solutions and lead a global transformation towards resilience and prosperity.
UNDP is the official host partner of the Carbon Markets Africa Summit, taking place from 22 to 23 October at the Sandton Convention Centre. The event will convene the continent’s entire carbon-markets value chain — from early movers and climate-finance-ready projects to regulators, development organisations and investors. A pre-summit masterclass, CARBON 101 on 21 October, will give delegates a foundational understanding of global carbon markets and Africa’s emerging role under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Keynote speakers include Gomera himself and Sandra Lindström from the Swedish Energy Agency, a UNDP partner with more than two decades of experience in carbon markets. Panel discussions will look at turning national policy into action, the integration of Article 6 on the ground, and how public-private collaboration can drive effective execution. Other sessions will explore nature-based solutions and land-based carbon outcomes, while a dedicated workshop will guide African corporates and SMEs on how to enter the carbon market.
Organised by VUKA Group with support from AUDA-NEPAD, UNEP and a host of corporate sponsors, CMAS aims to transform Africa’s carbon market potential into reality. “We cannot continue talking about Africa’s potential,” says Gomera. “We must make that potential a reality. The Carbon Markets Africa Summit matters because we bring together like-minded people to strengthen the ecosystem around a problem we all share and provide solutions. Our message is simple: tomorrow is worth fighting for.”
