Mogadishu, July 2025 – Somalia has launched its first carbon trading initiative, marking a major step in its fight against climate change. Backed by the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the program focuses on reforestation and is led by Iroko Analytics. Tree planting is scheduled to begin later this year.

This effort supports Somalia’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

Local organization, Somcarbon, is also playing a key role, developing carbon credit projects in forestry, renewable energy, and waste management, while promoting equitable community benefit-sharing.

The initiative comes alongside strong international backing. In 2024, Somalia received a $100 million pledge from the Green Climate Fund and committed $10 million to the African Union’s Great Green Wall Initiative, aimed at land restoration and climate resilience across the region.

However, Somalia faces challenges in accessing the global carbon market, including limited technical capacity, high verification costs, and weak infrastructure. To address this, the Ministry of Environment and Somcarbon are leading training and policy development efforts, including work on a new Environmental Management Bill.

If successful, Somalia’s first carbon credits could be issued by 2026. This initiative could lay the foundation for wider climate projects, generating income while restoring degraded land and supporting vulnerable communities.