Kenya has taken a significant step toward strengthening its role in international carbon markets with the launch of a national carbon registry aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
View through the window of Kenya’s reforestation efforts, with a drone monitoring progress and specialists checking data on a laptop. AI generated picture.
The new system, known as the Kenya National Carbon Registry (KNCR), is designed to track, verify, and record carbon credits and emissions reductions. It aims to support both voluntary and compliance markets, while ensuring that carbon transactions are reflected in national environmental reporting and authorisation processes.
According to Festus Ng'eno, principal secretary at the Environment and Climate Change Ministry, the registry’s launch signals a shift from development to full implementation. ‘This milestone marks the formal transition from system development to full national operationalisation, reaffirming the government of Kenya's ownership, leadership, and readiness to operationalise the Kenya National Carbon Registry (KNCR) as a cornerstone of its Carbon Market and Climate Action Framework,’ he said in a social media post.
Nairobi-based consultancy Verst acted as the technical implementation partner. The firm said the centralised platform would strengthen transparency and oversight across the carbon market value chain.
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‘The NCR enables Kenya to participate credibly in Article 6 cooperative approaches, improves transparency, and reduces the risk of double counting or double issuance of carbon credits,’ the consultancy said in a blog. ‘By providing a public-facing layer, the registry also enhances accountability and visibility for communities, investors, and regulators,’ it added.
Beyond market integrity, the registry is also intended to bolster Kenya’s ‘digital sovereignty’ over its environmental data. By consolidating information within a national system, the government can retain oversight of carbon market activity in line with domestic development priorities, rather than relying solely on external registries.
Additional partners include German development agency GIZ and the EU’s Digital for Development Hub. Drawing on lessons from Kenya’s registry, GIZ is now developing an AI-based platform designed to generate tailored national carbon registries within minutes. The technology aims to streamline certificate approval and enable transparent tracking of issuance and transfers in line with Article 6 requirements, potentially lowering barriers for more African countries to access international carbon markets.
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As countries such as Kenya strengthen their Article 6 infrastructure and digital oversight, the direction for carbon markets is unmistakable: higher integrity, stronger transparency and closer alignment with national environmental frameworks. Green Earth’s portfolio is built for this transition, combining rigorous project development with transparent monitoring and digital verification to deliver high-integrity, nature-based removals with measurable ecosystem impact at scale.
