The Malawi government, through the Environmental Affairs Department, has launched a new carbon market framework in a significant move towards sustainable environmental management in the country.
Speaking during the official launch in Lilongwe on Friday, Deputy Director for Environmental Affairs Department, Evans Njewa, said the development reflects government’s commitment to creating a balanced system where all stakeholders can thrive.
Njewa emphasised the broader vision for the framework, highlighting government’s strategic objective to leverage carbon markets as a tool for economic growth while addressing climate challenges.
“Carbon markets are not a give-away of Malawi’s resources but a partnership built on fairness, trust and protection of our national interest,” said Njewa.
Commenting on the development, National Coordinator for the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), Julius Ng’oma, commended government for its effort in developing and launching the regulatory guidelines stressing the importance of setting up a structured system to govern carbon trading activities which have previously benefited few individuals in the country.
Ng’oma said he is optimistic that the framework will change the dynamics by allowing participating communities, local players and the government to benefit from the reward of carbon trading through equitable sharing of the proceeds.
“The framework is timely, though we needed it years ago. Malawi is yet to fully tap into the potential benefits of carbon trading arrangements with local communities and stakeholders seeing minimal returns on their participation,” said Ng’oma.
He further noted that the step aims to safeguard the interests of participating communities, ensuring that they benefit fairly from the proceeds of carbon trading activities as outlined in the framework.
“The goal is to make sure the participating communities must benefit through equitable sharing of proceeds as stipulated in the framework. Our expectation is that this will guide the carbon market industry and that it shall be applied without bias,” he added, while also acknowledging the need for potential improvements in the framework.
Ng’oma also reminded stakeholders that carbon market arrangements are designed not only to reduce emissions but also to generate resources for climate change management stressing the importance of ensuring that proceeds from carbon trading are used to enhance community resilience against the impacts of climate change.
The framework is set to regulate carbon trading within the country particularly in alignment with international protocols such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, paving way for sustainable development and empowering communities to effectively combat climate related challenges.
