This announcement closely follows the second annual Kenya Carbon Markets Conference, co-organized by the Government of Kenya, VCMI, CCA, FSD Kenya, and FSD Africa, where over 200 stakeholders from across government, finance, civil society, and the private sector came together to unlock Kenya’s carbon market potential.

Carbon finance as a solution to clean cooking challenges

Currently, approximately 1 billion people in Africa do not have access to clean cooking solutions and instead rely on inefficient and polluting biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal to cook their daily meals. While Kenya has significantly improved access to clean cooking solutions over the past decade—up to 30% of its population in 2023 from 10% in 2010—millions of households still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood, charcoal, and kerosene.[i]

Clean cooking remains one of the most under-invested development challenges in the world. Carbon finance offers a critical source of capital to fill this gap, reducing how much consumers pay for clean cooking solutions and making them more accessible to low-income families who need them the most.

Partnership objectives

As part of VCMI’s Access Strategies program, this partnership with CCA will support financial market regulators to develop a framework that makes it easier to assess and prioritize which interventions could improve the integration of carbon-backed assets into mainstream finance – boosting carbon finance from clean cooking. The project intends to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to the Central Bank of Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority, the Insurance Regulatory Authority, the Kenya Bankers Association, and commercial banks.

Scaling up carbon finance for clean cooking and other projects has long been constrained by a lack of supportive regulatory frameworks, as well as concerns over project quality. This lack of clarity has stalled urgently needed government action, limiting the role that high-quality carbon credits can play in financing. At the same time, domestic banks, insurers, and capital market institutions have often faced barriers such as limited capacity and unclear risk, which have hindered their engagement in carbon markets.

Central banks and financial regulators are uniquely positioned to change this scenario – and thus align domestic financing with climate priorities – by providing clear, consistent regulatory guidance on carbon finance. This is precisely the process that VCMI and CCA aim to support through their new partnership.

“Unlocking the true potential of carbon markets requires more than just demand — it requires trust, transparency, and regulatory clarity,” said Feisal Hussain, Senior Director of Innovative Finance at CCA. “By working with financial regulators and institutions, we aim to turn carbon credits into widely accepted and trusted bankable assets that can help scale up clean cooking access across Africa. Kenya is leading the way in many regards, and we hope this model can inspire broader financial innovation across the continent.”

“VCMI is pleased to partner with the Clean Cooking Alliance to support the scale up of high-integrity clean cooking carbon market projects by advancing financial policy guidance that enables domestic financial institutions and the private sector to engage in carbon markets with confidence. When operated with integrity, these projects improve the livelihoods of Kenyans, drive real climate impact and contribute towards sustainable development goals—serving as a model for other countries to follow,” said at Bianca Gichangi, Regional Lead for Africa at VCMI.

Advancing high-integrity carbon markets

This work is informed by a policy brief, recently published by CCA, identifying 15 targeted interventions that financial regulators can take to increase the recognition and use of carbon credits within financial systems. It also builds on previous collaborative works like the Buyer’s Guide to High-Quality Cookstove Carbon Credits, which complements VCMI’s Claims Code of Practice by helping buyers understand how to responsibly engage in the clean cooking sector.

This partnership lays a critical foundation by guiding regulators toward actionable, high-impact interventions. By working closely with the Government of Kenya, this partnership will continue the country’s leadership in the global carbon market as a provider of high-quality carbon credits that not only deliver climate benefits but also respect and strengthen the rights and livelihoods of local communities, ensuring that carbon markets are inclusive, transparent, and deliver tangible, lasting value for local actors.

-ENDS-

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is an international non-profit committed to realizing the full potential of high-integrity voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). Our mission is to empower companies, governments, and non-state actors to maximize the impact of their climate actions through the use of high-quality carbon credits.

VCMI’s Codes of Practice provide rigorous, science-aligned guidance for organizations to take credible and transparent climate action using high-quality carbon credits, enabling them to align their climate transition plans with accelerating progress to global net zero.

Through our Access Strategies Program, VCMI supports host countries, regions, and sectors to participate in high-integrity carbon markets and unlock the environmental, social, and economic benefits of carbon finance within national climate plans. This program is instrumental in building the necessary infrastructure for countries to participate meaningfully and benefit from the global carbon market.

At VCMI, we are committed to integrity, transparency, and impact, ensuring that every carbon credit used contributes to real, verifiable climate progress.

vcmintegrity.org

The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the 2.1 billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment that allows the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping consumers save time and money.

CleanCooking.org

[i] IEA, 2025

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Titled Unlocking Kenya’s carbon market potential: Overcoming barriers and harnessing opportunities, the conference will take place from 19–20 May 2025, in Nairobi.

VCMI’s Executive Director, Mark Kenber, will deliver a keynote address at the conference’s opening session, and VCMI’s Regional Lead for Africa, Bianca Gichangi, will moderate a panel session on the first day: Shifting buyer preferences: navigating demand for high-integrity carbon credits.

The conference’s primary objectives include:

1. Build consensus on actionable strategies for Kenya’s carbon market.

2. Validate and endorse the 2025 Carbon Market Decision Paper, a stakeholder-led output that will serve as a roadmap and accountability framework.

3. Showcase innovations in project financing, MRV, and benefit-sharing, positioning Kenya as a hub for next-generation carbon solutions.

4. Mobilize partnerships across public, private, and community actors to catalyze investment and co-develop integrity-focused market reforms.

5. Empower youth and communities by spotlighting inclusive business models, co-ownership frameworks, and skilling programs.

Kindly contact Bianca Gichangi if you will also be attending and wish to connect.

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VCMI’s Executive Director Mark Kenber will deliver the keynote address during the conference’s opening session. In addition, Bianca Gichangi, VCMI’s Regional Lead for Africa, will moderate a panel discussion on Shifting Buyer Preferences: Navigating Demand for High-Integrity Carbon Credits on Day 1 at 12:30 PM.

This partnership marks a critical milestone as Kenya accelerates its ambition to become a continental and global leader in high-integrity carbon markets. Its recent policy developments, including the 2024 Carbon Market Regulations and the operationalization of a Designated National Authority, have positioned it at the forefront of carbon market innovation and integrity in Africa and beyond.

Backed by VCMI’s Access Strategies program, the conference builds on a series of high-level stakeholder dialogues hosted between March and April 2025. These pre-conference sessions explored the pillars of integrity and trust, investment and innovation, and collaboration and inclusion, laying the foundation for an inclusive and actionable roadmap.

Key objectives of the conference include:

1. Reaching consensus on strategies to drive Kenya’s carbon market forward, informed by stakeholder insights.
2. Validating the 2025 Carbon Market Decision Paper, a stakeholder-led roadmap and accountability tool.
3. Showcasing innovations in carbon project finance, MRV systems, and benefit-sharing models.
4. Mobilizing multi-sector partnerships to support market reforms grounded in integrity.
5. Empowering youth and communities through inclusive business models, co-ownership strategies, and skills development programs.

The expected outcomes of this pivotal conference include the release of a shared action plan to guide the operationalization of Kenya’s carbon market, enhanced clarity on Article 6.2 and 6.4 readiness, and the formation of cross-sectoral working groups to carry forward key recommendations.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Amb Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change in the Executive Office of the President, said:

“The Kenya Carbon Markets Conference presents a model of public-private collaboration that other governments can replicate to unlock private sector finance for climate and sustainable development. By building strong, transparent markets, we can direct vital finance to communities, accelerate sustainable development, and build a more resilient future for Kenya and beyond.”

ENDS

About VCMI

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is an international non-profit committed to realising the full potential of high-integrity voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). Our mission is to empower companies, governments, and non-state actors to maximise the impact of their climate actions through the use of high-quality carbon credits.

VCMI’s Codes of Practice provide rigorous, science-aligned guidance for organisations to take credible and transparent climate action using high-quality carbon credits, enabling them to align their climate transition plans with accelerating progress to global net zero.

Through our Access Strategies Program, VCMI supports host countries, regions, and sectors to participate in high-integrity carbon markets and unlock the environmental, social, and economic benefits of carbon finance within national climate plans. This programme is instrumental in building the necessary infrastructure for countries to participate meaningfully and benefit from the global carbon market.

At VCMI, we are committed to integrity, transparency, and impact, ensuring that every carbon credit used contributes to real, verifiable climate progress.

For media enquiries, please contact: VCMI@bcw-global.com 

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