The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry recently published in the Kenya Gazette the appointment of the Multi Sectoral Technical Committee (the MSTC) in accordance with the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations, 2024 (the Carbon Markets Regulations).
The principal task of the MSTC is to provide technical assistance to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), being the designated national authority for market (and other) mechanisms deriving from Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, on carbon project assessment.
NEMA is charged with, among other obligations:
- the issue of letters of approval to carbon project proponents;
- the monitoring of registered carbon projects and compliance; and
- the maintenance of the National Carbon Registry established under the Climate Change Act and to be operationalised in due course.
The appointment of the MTSC, drawing membership from key government ministries, county governments and agencies, signals the continuing momentum of the march towards full operationalisation and implementation of carbon markets in the country. This contemplates the rolling out of carbon trading regulations, national carbon regulations and non-market regulations soon to this end. Further, it enables NEMA to establish ad hoc committees, drawing membership from the MTSC, to review project design documents, provide recommendations and technical advice on carbon projects to NEMA.
The appointment came into effect on 22 November 2024.
This alert serves the purpose of general guidance and is not intended to constitute specific legal advice. For legal guidance concerning this alert, please contact our Partners, Julius.Wako@CMS-DI.com or Abdulhafeez.Noorani@CMS-DI.com.
*Contributors
CMS Kenya’s Energy, Climate Change Team,
CMS Kenya’s Projects & Infrastructure Team
- Julius Wako, Partner, Head of Practice – Energy & Climate Change, Projects & Infrastructure
- Abdulhafeez Noorani, Partner
- Kevin Kwasa, Partner
- Jacinta Ngumo, Principal Associate
- Brian Macharia, Associate
- Radhika Bhullar, Associate
- Wambui Kariuki, Associate
