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AEW 2025: Green Asset Exchange to Spotlight Africa’s Emerging Carbon Markets
Africa’s role in global energy markets is expanding beyond oil and gas, as new mechanisms for monetizing environmental assets begin to take shape. At this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town, Nick Rowley, Director of the Green Asset Exchange, will outline how Africa can scale carbon credits and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to drive investment across its energy sector.
The Green Asset Exchange, launched in South Africa, is the continent’s first locally developed trading platform for environmental assets. It enables transparent, standardized transactions for both compliance and voluntary markets, addressing a key gap for African project developers. As governments and companies look to align with net-zero targets, the platform creates a pathway for African credits and RECs to reach international buyers, while channeling revenue directly into renewable and low-carbon projects on the continent.
Market signals point to significant growth. Globally, approximately 255 million voluntary carbon credits were issued in 2024, while around 162 million were retired. The African Development Bank is set to launch the Africa Carbon Support Facility next year to strengthen regulatory frameworks and expand the pipeline of high-integrity projects. Discussions are also underway to list carbon credits on African stock exchanges, a move expected to boost liquidity and investor confidence. These developments highlight both rising demand and Africa’s potential to become a global supplier of environmental commodities.
“A continent that emits a negligible amount of carbon dioxide is being disproportionately pegged as a threat to the planet by developed nations. Africa must chart its own energy transition – on its terms. Platforms like the Green Asset Exchange demonstrate how Africa can build its own solutions, monetize its natural capital and ensure the benefits of carbon markets flow back into African economies,” says Ore Onagbesan, Program Director at AEW: Invest in African Energies.
Rowley’s participation at AEW 2025 will explore how carbon credits and RECs can enhance project bankability, diversify revenue streams and attract global capital. For international and African investors alike, discussions are expected to highlight how integrating environmental markets with hydrocarbons and renewables could create a more resilient and competitive African energy industry. By complementing rather than replacing Africa’s oil and gas projects, environmental markets can provide additional financial tools for investors navigating new ESG requirements.