Zambia Opens Carbon Registry for Article 6 Trading

Zambia has brought a national carbon registry online, positioning the country to trade emissions reductions internationally under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The Zambia Carbon Registry, live since 7 August 2026, records mitigation outcomes and tracks their movement through the market, from issuance to retirement.

An environmental expert reviewing digital climate data on a tablet while monitoring a reforestation project in Zambia. AI generated picture.

The platform sits within Zambia's monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system. It registers mitigation activities, assigns unique serial numbers to mitigation outcomes, and follows each unit through transfer, retirement, and cancellation. That audit trail is designed to tighten carbon accounting and limit double counting and overselling.

Links to Zambia's national inventory and measurement systems let the country count emissions reductions towards its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or transfer them abroad as Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). The registry also handles the reporting that Article 6 transactions require. Built with support from the Supporting Preparedness for Article 6 Cooperation (SPAR6C) programme, it maps to Zambian law and to international Article 6 standards.

Access extends to project developers, designated operational entities, government authorities, and the public, each able to view registered activities and transactions. A later update is set to add voluntary carbon market (VCM) projects to the system.

Zambian authorities framed the registry as a step towards a more visible, reviewable market. Dr Douty Chibamba, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, said, “Zambia’s Carbon Registry is fully online, demonstrating our integrity and strong commitment to accountability and transparency.”

The UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and GFA Consulting Group led delivery, alongside the Center for Energy, Environment and Engineering Zambia (CEEEZ), the Zambia Environmental Management Agency, and the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) noted that Zambia ranks among the first countries to build a fully customised digital registry designed for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.