During the Meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) in February 2026, the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) officially launched the African Principles for Equity and Integrity in Carbon Markets, widely referred to as Africa’s Gold Standard. The principles have been officially endorsed by the CAHOSCC. The launch marked a step forward in implementing the Africa Action Plan on Carbon Markets developed under the leadership of the African Union Commission and the AU Assembly Decision (Assembly/AU/Dec.875(XXXVII) which mandated AUDA-NEPAD to lead the processes towards the development of the “African Gold Standard on Carbon Credits” in collaboration with member states, the AU Commission and partners. The principles prioritise integrity, equity, transparency, and inclusivity to ensure carbon markets generate genuine environmental, economic and social benefits ensuring all market activities deliver equitable, measurable benefits for African governments and communities, with fair benefit-sharing and inclusive participation.
