Investors, carbon-credit buyers and project developers will meet in Kigali next week to explore financing opportunities in Africa’s carbon markets, as the continent seeks to attract capital for climate-related projects.
The Carbon Markets Africa Summit 2026 will run from October 13 to 15 at the Kigali Convention Centre, bringing together more than 50 investors, buyers and financiers alongside over 40 project developers and representatives, according to the organisers.
The summit has confirmed participation from 24 African countries and 45 countries globally. Organisers expect more than 100 speakers and representatives of 20 African governments to attend.
Investor roundtables will provide a platform for capital providers, buyers and project developers to discuss possible deals, partnerships and funding for projects across several sectors.
These include nature-based solutions, agriculture, waste management, clean cooking and carbon removals, areas in which project developers are seeking financing and engagement with carbon-credit buyers.
Emmanuelle Nicholls, portfolio director for the summit, said bringing the different players together could help unlock investment and strengthen the pipeline of projects seeking support.
“The real opportunity lies in bringing decision-makers, financiers, buyers and project developers into the same room. Those conversations can help unlock investment, strengthen project pipelines and accelerate the partnerships needed to scale African carbon markets,” Nicholls said.
Maggie Kinyanjui, sourcing manager for Africa at Climate Impact Partners, said the continent needed a market that could attract capital while ensuring benefits reached the countries and communities delivering climate impact.
“Africa should not just participate in carbon markets. We should help shape them,” she said, adding that market development should reward integrity and ensure value reaches the communities involved.
Carbon markets allow eligible projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions to generate carbon credits, which can be purchased by organisations seeking to account for emissions under applicable market rules. The credibility of projects and the integrity of credits are important considerations for buyers and investors.
International rules governing carbon markets are also continuing to evolve. The Article 6.4 Supervisory Body, which oversees the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, is meeting in Bonn, Germany, immediately ahead of the Kigali summit.
For African project developers, engagement with investors and buyers can provide opportunities to secure financing and establish commercial relationships. The summit will offer participants a forum to discuss how those connections can be translated into projects and investment.
The event is hosted by Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment, with the United Nations Development Programme and African Development Bank as host organisations. The Development Bank of Southern Africa is the host partner, and AUDA-NEPAD is the strategic institutional partner.
The three-day meeting is expected to bring together participants from across the carbon-market value chain, with investment and partnerships among the key issues on the agenda.
