Kigali will host the Carbon Markets Africa Summit from October 13 to 15, bringing together more than 50 investors, buyers and financiers from 45 countries to accelerate carbon-market transactions across Africa.
The summit, to be held at the Kigali Convention Centre, aims to move African carbon markets beyond policy discussions towards completed transactions, according to the organisers.
Hosted by Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment and organised by VUKA Group, the event is expected to attract more than 100 speakers, representatives from 20 African governments and over 40 carbon-project developers. The projects cover agriculture, waste management, clean cooking and nature-based solutions.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa is the host partner, while the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) is the strategic institutional partner.
Emmanuelle Nicholls, portfolio director for green economy at VUKA Group, said bringing decision-makers, financiers, buyers and project developers together would help strengthen project pipelines and build partnerships to expand African carbon markets.
During the summit, project developers will present their initiatives directly to investors and buyers.
Carbon markets allow companies and governments to buy credits generated by projects that reduce or remove greenhouse-gas emissions. Each credit generally represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement provides a framework for countries to cooperate in reducing emissions, including through the international transfer of emission reductions.
Rwanda has registered 29 carbon-market projects covering land conservation, agriculture, forestry, electric mobility, waste management and renewable energy, according to the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).
In January 2026, Rwanda and Singapore opened applications for carbon-credit projects under a bilateral agreement concluded in 2025. The arrangement is intended to facilitate cooperation between the two countries under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
