By Jenifer Gilla
Dar es salaam.The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), through its clean cooking programme CookFund funded by the European Union (EU), has convened key stakeholders to discuss opportunities and challenges in developing carbon markets in Tanzania.
The policy dialogue brought together representatives from the Ministry of Energy, the Vice President’s Office (Environment), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT), the National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC), carbon market experts, private sector representatives, and development partners.
Speaking during the dialogue held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, UNCDF Senior Investment Officer Abraham Byamungu said Tanzania has significant potential to perform well in carbon markets.
He noted that the sector plays a critical role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions through initiatives such as energy efficiency projects, the promotion of clean cooking solutions, and forest conservation.
“Carbon markets can support the implementation of Tanzania’s National Strategy aimed at ensuring that 80 percent of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034, while also contributing to forest conservation efforts,” he said.
Byamungu stressed that strong collaboration between the government and the private sector is essential in creating an enabling investment environment and policy framework that allows the sector to benefit Tanzanians.
However, he noted that Tanzania still lags behind some countries in the region such as Rwanda, which despite its smaller geographical size has made significant progress due to strong preparations, investor-friendly policies, and supportive regulatory frameworks.
He also cited neighbouring Kenya as one of the countries that have made considerable progress in carbon markets through strong stakeholder engagement and supportive policies.
Byamungu said Tanzania has the potential to outperform many African countries due to its vast land resources, ongoing efforts to promote clean cooking energy, and extensive forest coverage.
“About 34 percent of Tanzania’s land area is covered by forests and wildlife conservation areas, providing significant opportunities for carbon trading through tree planting and forest conservation initiatives,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Forest Officer from the Vice President’s Office Lucas Jacob Sabida said the workshop was important as it brought together stakeholders to discuss how carbon markets can benefit Tanzania, as has been the case in some neighbouring countries.
He said the government, through the Vice President’s Office, is ready to support the growth of the carbon market through the National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC), which has been established to oversee the sector.
Sabida noted that the centre coordinates issues related to carbon trading, including project registration, to ensure the sector grows in a structured manner and benefits the country.