MW needs increased trade in carbon markets to leverage climate change impacts
Agricultural scientists have emphasized the need for increasing trade in carbon markets to companies that are emitting carbon inorder to leverage climate change impacts in the country.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the 13th Eminent Speaker Series (ESS) in Lilongwe that dwells on issues of carbon markets and climate finance, Zwide Jere managing director at Total Land Care, said issues of climate change such as depletion of soil health, water quality as well as deforestation can be address through trading in carbon markets as companies are given targets on carbon they can emit and offset, the only way to do that is to work with communities.
“Companies should work with communities so that they can engage in restoration activities, tree planting in communial areas, regeneration of natural trees, agroforestry, all those interventions if you look at them the biggest benefit is to restore the landscapes,” Jere said.
Mwapata Institute was the facilitators for the panel discussion, as its executive director William Chadza emphasized importance of such discussions as Malawi is increasingly impacted with climate change shocks as well as working behind in issues of carbon emissions as a country.
“As a country, we need to have conversations around carbon markets and also carbon financing so that we see various activities whether forest related or agricultural related on how they can interface with carbon related issues,” Chadza said.
He further said Malawi has an opportunity to develop policy and regulatory framework that can help to leverage into carbon related interventions.
LUANAR Deputy Vice Chancellor, Associate Prof. Agnes Mwangwera said as science university they have a huge role in conducting research and generating data to help in the assessment of carbon credits which Malawi has.
“We need also do build capacity in two ways our ordinary programs, Bancherous and Diploma degrees we need to include elements of carbon markets in there, but also we need to develop short courses that will target players in the carbon market so that we can build the capacity around these areas,” she said.
The interface meeting was called upon inorder to bring together players in the carbon market cycle for networking and partnerships to accelerate sustainable development in the country.
The 13th Eminent Speaker Series (ESS) organized by LUANAR in partnership with Mwapata Institute and National Planning Commission (NPC) focused on “Leveraging Carbon Markets and Carbon Financing to Accelerate Sustainable Development in Malawi,”
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :