Article 6 in Central Africa: Cameroon's Position and What It Means for Buyers

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement establishes a legal framework allowing countries to trade emission reductions across borders — a mechanism that is fundamentally reshaping the value of carbon credits from Central African forests. For Cameroon, whose Congo Basin forests cover more than 22 million hectares, Article 6 represents both a significant economic opportunity and a governance challenge that is actively being addressed.

Cameroon's Article 6 Framework

The Cameroon government has anchored its Article 6 strategy within its national REDD+ policy and its role in the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. The Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) is the national designated authority for validating and authorizing Article 6-eligible projects. Bilateral negotiations are ongoing with France and several European institutional buyers under Article 6.2. Cameroon's National Carbon Registry provides the administrative backbone for future ITMO transactions.

A significant development from July 2026: the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body adopted a new methodology for grid-connected renewable electricity — wind and solar can now earn PACM credits, with the prior restriction to small island states removed. This opens Article 6.4 credit generation to renewable energy projects across the Congo Basin region. Conversely, the cookstoves methodology was sent back for revision — a setback for developers in that sector who had been waiting on it.

In July 2026, the DRC formally established the Lumière National Carbon Registry and a Carbon Market Regulatory Authority — a comprehensive legal framework for participation in Articles 6.2 and 6.4. However, a local NGO (GTCRR) called for a suspension of the legislative process, warning that the current law risks fragmenting governance and reducing investor confidence. The DRC is targeting November 2026 to publish its Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), which is indispensable for the country's carbon credits to access Corsia markets. France and the DRC also signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the Z3D programme (Zero Deforestation and Degradation for Development), funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) as part of the Belém commitments for Congo Basin forests.

Kenya and Uganda: The Regional Context

Kenya is the regional Article 6 leader. Its bilateral ITMO agreements with Switzerland and Sweden are among the world's first live Article 6.2 arrangements, and Kenya's Carbon Markets Bill is advancing through parliament. Kenya's credits can already be Article 6-authorized today. Uganda has a strong project pipeline anchored by Bwindi and the Albertine Rift wetlands, but has not yet signed ITMO agreements — placing it 12–24 months behind Kenya. For context, Nigeria finalized its full Article 6 framework at end-2025, with at least three Corsia-tagged cookstoves projects now operational, setting a benchmark for the region.

The Corresponding Adjustment Fee — Getting It Right

A lesson from elsewhere: at a recent climate investment forum, Bhutan presented 36 Article 6 projects totalling 5.08 million tCO2e per year, but developers pushed back sharply on Bhutan's proposed corresponding adjustment (CA) fee of $5–25/tCO2e, arguing it priced projects out of the market. Bhutan acknowledged it may need to revise. Cameroon faces the same calibration challenge: the CA fee it ultimately sets will determine whether its Article 6 pipeline becomes commercially viable or stalls before it starts. This is arguably the single most important policy decision in Cameroon's Article 6 journey.

Institutional Confidence is Rising

A telling signal: specialist carbon insurance firm Kita received investment from Tokio Marine Group (Japan) in mid-2026. Kita explicitly cited "several African countries bolstering their carbon credit frameworks in the past 12 months" as the trigger — and is now underwriting political risk for Article 6 and Corsia deals across Africa. When major Japanese insurers start pricing African carbon risk at scale, it signals a genuine inflection point for the region's credibility.

Cameroon's Competitive Advantage

Despite its later Article 6 start, Cameroon has unique strengths. The sheer size of its forest cover gives it credit generation potential significantly exceeding Kenya or Uganda at scale. Combined VCS and CCB certification — achievable for most Cameroonian forest projects — commands 20–40% market premiums. For institutional buyers planning large-volume, long-term procurement, partnerships negotiated now, before Cameroon's Article 6 framework is fully operationalized, offer terms that the market is unlikely to provide once ITMOs are available.

Related reading: For the Kenya perspective, visit co2.ke. For the Uganda perspective, visit co2.ug.