By Edward Acquah, GNA
ACCRA, May 11, GNA – A high-level delegation from the Republic of Malawi has concluded a two-day working visit to Ghana to understudy the country’s carbon market framework while strengthening bilateral cooperation on climate action and sustainable development.
The delegation, led by Madam Patricia Wiskies, Malawi’s Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, was hosted by the Government of Ghana with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The mission focused on Ghana’s experience in building a transparent and results-oriented carbon market system under Article 6 of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Discussions covered voluntary carbon markets, bilateral cooperation, national registry development, project pipeline preparation, investor engagement, waste management, and regulation of single-use plastics.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the visit, Malawi commended Ghana for establishing a dedicated carbon market office and strengthening its registry and authorisation systems to mobilise climate finance while supporting national development priorities.
The communiqué noted that Malawi’s effective participation in carbon markets would require a clear national roadmap, robust legal and institutional frameworks, transparent authorisation criteria, credible project pipelines, and strong measurement, reporting and verification systems.
The delegation also underscored the need for private sector participation, banking sector engagement, fair benefit-sharing arrangements, capacity building, and sustained political support.
As part of the outcomes, Malawi proposed a structured partnership platform with Ghana to facilitate continuous technical exchange and peer learning on carbon market governance and project preparation.
“We are deeply encouraged by the progress that Ghana has made with regards to waste management, environmental sustainability, circular economy initiatives and carbon market development,” she said.
Speaking at the close of the meeting, Madam Wiskies expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Ghana for the hospitality extended to the delegation.
She noted that lessons gathered during the visit would support Malawi’s institutions in implementing effective carbon market systems and environmental policies back home.
She commended the Ghana and Malawi teams of the UNDP for facilitating the visit and called for sustained collaboration between the two countries through quarterly engagements.
Mr Michael Abrokwaa, General Manager of Klik Foundation Ghana, said Ghana had made significant progress in the carbon market space since signing a bilateral agreement with Switzerland.
The Foundation had supported the transfer of more than 11,000 tonnes of carbon credits from Ghana to Switzerland through a cookstove programme.
“That is the largest in the world and the first in Africa,” he said.
Mr Abrokwaa said Ghana’s ambition was to establish a robust carbon crediting regime that would help reduce emissions, support the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions, and promote sustainable development through job creation.
Last year, Ghana issued and transferred its first 11,733 tonnes of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) to Switzerland under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
The transfer positioned the country as the first African nation and only the second globally to complete such a transaction under the cooperative mechanism of the Paris Agreement.
The ITMOs were generated through a clean cooking initiative titled the Transformative Cookstove Activity in Rural Ghana, implemented by Envirofit and ACT Group, with financing from the Foundation for Climate Protection and Carbon Offset (KliK).
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Edward AcquahÂ
[email protected]Â