Kenya caps carbon credit sales

Kenya has introduced a cap on the amount of carbon emissions credits it will authorize for sale to overseas buyers, unveiling one of Africa's most detailed rule books for international carbon trading. The country set a 10 million metric ton carbon dioxide equivalent budget for international carbon market transactions up to 2030, with annual allocations capped at 1.67 million metric tons. The new guide, released Monday, creates a framework for approving projects under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to trade emission reduction credits to help meet global climate targets. The framework replaces an often uncertain approval process and establishes a national carbon budget for trading as a binding safeguard. It also introduces a conditional list of priority activities covering renewable energy, transportation, and waste projects, while excluding forests and other land-use projects for now. Kenya has emerged as one of Africa's largest carbon market destinations, and the government says the new framework will improve investor confidence by making decisions more predictable while protecting climate integrity and ensuring local communities benefit from carbon market projects.