African Carbon Credits Fund Climate Action and Local Growth.
A new documentary, "Black Water," shows how carbon credits help African communities protect nature and fight climate change. The film features a project at Lake Mai Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Local people run fish nurseries to restore the lake's ecosystem. "Fish became rare because of mosquito nets," said community elder Pong Paul. "In my youth, we caught big fish. Today, finding any fish proves difficult."
Wildlife Works leads these efforts through carbon credit sales. The company helps communities stop logging in exchange for funding schools, health care, and farming projects. Their work covers 300,000 hectares of forest and lake areas.
"We chose a path different from foreign aid," said Jean-Robert Bwangoy, Wildlife Works' country director. "Projects backed by outside money often fail when donors leave."
The project has sold carbon credits worth 2.5 million pounds since 2012. Communities receive 25% of sales revenue, with the government taking 50%. This money builds schools and supports local programs.
Africa's forests could play a major role in fighting climate change. The continent aims to expand its carbon market 19 times by 2030. This growth might create 30 million jobs and earn $6 billion.
Recent progress includes payments to several African nations. Côte d'Ivoire received $35 million for cutting emissions. Ghana earned $5 million, and Mozambique also joined the program.
Some researchers question the impact of these projects. A 2023 study found many programs did not reduce deforestation as claimed. But Bwangoy argues these critics lack experience with tropical forests.
"Critics say tropical forests cannot produce 300,000kg of biomass," he said. "Our measurements show some areas double that amount."
The World Bank reports carbon reduction payments tripled to $164.5 million in 2024. More African countries plan to sell carbon credits by 2025. Experts believe pan-African programs will help the continent benefit from global carbon markets.
A new documentary, "Black Water," shows how carbon credits help African communities protect nature and fight climate change. The film features a project at Lake Mai Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Local people run fish nurseries to restore the lake's ecosystem. "Fish became rare because of mosquito nets," said community elder Pong Paul. "In my youth, we caught big fish. Today, finding any fish proves difficult."
Wildlife Works leads these efforts through carbon credit sales. The company helps communities stop logging in exchange for funding schools, health care, and farming projects. Their work covers 300,000 hectares of forest and lake areas.
"We chose a path different from foreign aid," said Jean-Robert Bwangoy, Wildlife Works' country director. "Projects backed by outside money often fail when donors leave."
The project has sold carbon credits worth 2.5 million pounds since 2012. Communities receive 25% of sales revenue, with the government taking 50%. This money builds schools and supports local programs.
Africa's forests could play a major role in fighting climate change. The continent aims to expand its carbon market 19 times by 2030. This growth might create 30 million jobs and earn $6 billion.
Recent progress includes payments to several African nations. Côte d'Ivoire received $35 million for cutting emissions. Ghana earned $5 million, and Mozambique also joined the program.
Some researchers question the impact of these projects. A 2023 study found many programs did not reduce deforestation as claimed. But Bwangoy argues these critics lack experience with tropical forests.
"Critics say tropical forests cannot produce 300,000kg of biomass," he said. "Our measurements show some areas double that amount."
The World Bank reports carbon reduction payments tripled to $164.5 million in 2024. More African countries plan to sell carbon credits by 2025. Experts believe pan-African programs will help the continent benefit from global carbon markets.
