Zambia sets stage for rinternational carbon trading with digital egistry

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🗞️ Driving the news: Zambia has launched a national digital carbon registry designed to strengthen oversight of carbon market activity and prepare the country for greater participation in international carbon trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
• Launched on August 7, the Zambia Carbon Registry is integrated with the country's monitoring, reporting and verification system and aims to improve carbon accounting while reducing the risk of double counting or overselling emissions reductions

🔭 The context: The registry will allow mitigation activities to be registered, monitored and verified, while issuing mitigation outcomes with unique serial numbers and tracking their transfer, retirement and cancellation
• It will also support reporting for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) and connect carbon accounting with Zambia's national emissions inventory and NDCs
• Voluntary carbon market projects are expected to be incorporated in a future update
• The platform was developed through the SPAR6C programme and implemented by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and GFA Consulting Group, alongside Zambian partners

🌍 Why it matters for the plant: A transparent and interoperable registry is fundamental to building integrity and trust in international carbon markets
• By tracking individual mitigation outcomes and linking them to national emissions accounting, Zambia can reduce the risk of the same emissions reduction being claimed by multiple parties
• For developing countries, stronger carbon-market infrastructure could also unlock new sources of climate finance by making emissions reductions easier to verify and trade internationally

⏭️ What’s next: The priority will be putting the system into operation across mitigation projects and connecting it to future international Article 6 transactions
• Zambia would need to integrate voluntary carbon market activities as planned and maintain strong verification and oversight as trading volumes grow

💬 One quote: “Zambia’s Carbon Registry is fully online, demonstrating our integrity and strong commitment to accountability and transparency.” - Dr. Douty Chibamba, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Green Economy and Environment

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