Kenya has formally launched its National Carbon Registry, marking the country’s transition from policy design to full operational entry into global carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
The Kenya National Carbon Registry (KNCR), unveiled in Nairobi on February 17, is designed to serve as the country’s central digital platform for tracking carbon credit projects, verifying emissions reductions and authorising transfers of credits, including Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). The registry is managed by the National Environment Management Authority and operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.
The launch ceremony was presided over by Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, alongside Principal Secretaries Festus Ng’eno and Gitonga Mugambi. Diplomats and development partners in attendance included European Union Ambassador Henriette Geiger, Switzerland’s Ambassador Valentin Zellweger and Germany’s Head of Cooperation Maren Kneller.
Officials said the registry would eliminate double counting of emissions reductions, a persistent credibility concern in global offset markets, while providing a transparent national accounting system aligned with international standards. By centralising project approvals, tracking verified emissions reductions and recording authorisations for credit transfers, Kenya aims to ensure that mitigation outcomes are counted once and reflected accurately in national inventories.
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Carbon markets allow governments and companies to offset emissions by purchasing credits generated from projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gases, including reforestation, forest conservation and renewable energy investments.
Kenya, which has significant forest cover, grasslands and a rapidly expanding renewable energy base, has positioned carbon trading as a channel to attract climate finance while directing benefits to host communities.
The registry’s operationalisation follows a series of legislative reforms. Kenya’s Climate Change Act first acknowledged carbon markets, before the Climate Change (Amendment) Act 2023 introduced a stronger legal foundation. Subsequent regulations in 2024 and 2025, including the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations and the Climate Change (Carbon Trading) Regulations, established the framework for authorising projects, managing revenues and safeguarding national interests.
Germany, through its development cooperation agency in Kenya, has committed an additional €2.4 million in financial and technical support to strengthen the country’s readiness for carbon markets. European partners have been involved in supporting the registry’s technical architecture and alignment with international requirements.
The government has framed Kenya’s carbon credits as sovereign assets protected by law. Officials said the KNCR would function as the country’s “digital gateway” to global carbon markets, ensuring transparency and integrity while safeguarding national carbon resources.
Beyond credit tracking, the system is also structured to support non-market approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, enabling collaborative mitigation arrangements between countries.
Kenya’s move comes amid heightened scrutiny of voluntary carbon markets globally, where concerns over credit quality and verification standards have weighed on investor confidence. Developing countries, including Kenya, are seeking a greater share of climate finance flows through regulated trading mechanisms that meet international accounting rules.
Africa holds significant carbon sinks and cost-effective mitigation potential but attracts a small proportion of global carbon market revenues. Kenyan officials said the registry would strengthen institutional performance, simplify project processes and enable domestic and international investors to transact within a nationally accountable system.
With the registry now fully operational, Kenya joins a growing group of countries formalising domestic infrastructure to participate in cross-border carbon trading. The effectiveness of the KNCR will depend on project pipeline development, verification capacity and alignment with international buyers under Article 6 frameworks.
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