In a significant policy move for climate governance, Kenya has become the first country in Africa to roll out a national REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Registry, establishing a transparent, centralized platform to track forest-related emissions reductions and carbon credit generation.
The registry was launched in Nairobi on July 28 by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry in partnership with the United Kingdom and technical partner Conservation International. It is designed to serve as the country’s official system for recording verified reductions in emissions resulting from forest conservation and sustainable land use. The digital platform offers a structured approach to carbon data management, with the goal of improving trust in Kenya’s forest-based mitigation activities and unlocking access to global climate finance.
Kenya’s Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, speaking at the launch, said the registry will operate as a key component of Kenya’s carbon market infrastructure, enabling more accurate tracking and management of forest-based carbon credits.
“This registry strengthens our ability to participate credibly in international carbon markets. It reflects the reforms we’ve undertaken to ensure emissions data is verifiable, accessible, and aligned with national law,” CS Barasa stated.
The registry is grounded in provisions of the Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023, and Carbon Market Regulations, 2024. It will integrate with Kenya’s broader national carbon accounting framework, including the upcoming National Carbon Registry, and provide a mechanism to prevent duplicate counting of emissions reductions—an issue that has undermined credibility in several voluntary carbon markets.
This launch places Kenya among a small group of nations globally that have implemented a fully operational REDD+ emissions tracking system. The United Kingdom, through UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions), will temporarily host the registry for two years as Kenya scales local capacity to manage it independently.
Read also: Africa set to host landmark Carbon Markets Summit as it eyes climate finance breakthrough
Alongside the registry, the Ministry also introduced Nesting Guidelines, a set of policy instruments that allow smaller REDD+ projects—run by local communities, NGOs, or private landowners to be integrated into the national accounting system. This alignment is essential for Kenya to benefit from carbon markets governed by Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows for international trading of verified emission reductions between countries.
British High Commissioner Neil Wigan, who also spoke at the event, emphasized that the registry reflects deeper cooperation between the UK and Kenya on climate strategy.
“This is a direct outcome of the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership, where climate and nature have been identified as shared priorities,” Wigan said. “It demonstrates how local and international frameworks can work together to advance environmental accountability.”
The registry also responds to long-standing demands from civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ groups for greater visibility, traceability, and fair benefit-sharing from carbon projects. By codifying participation rules and data governance, the registry aims to reduce disputes over carbon rights and ensure that forest communities receive a share of the proceeds from emissions reductions attributed to their lands.
Kenya’s forest sector accounts for a substantial portion of its emissions profile and plays a vital role in water security, biodiversity protection, and rural livelihoods. The country is simultaneously advancing the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, a national afforestation drive intended to restore degraded landscapes and expand forest cover.
With the new REDD+ registry in place, Kenya signals its intent to bring more order to a historically fragmented sector—where overlapping projects, opaque methodologies, and inconsistent data tracking have limited the credibility of forest carbon efforts.
As international investors increasingly require verifiable emissions data tied to local benefits, Kenya’s new infrastructure could offer a replicable model for other African nations aiming to participate in global carbon markets with stronger oversight.
Access the registry here.
Read also: Venture Global’s $15 Billion LNG deal puts pressure on Africa’s gas strategies
