Carbon offsets in practice (June 2024)

4th -6th June 2024

This training course decodes the complex, fast-evolving world of carbon offsets – a market set to be worth as much as $250bn by 2030. Using case studies from various countries (South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya, DRC, Senegal), with a particular focus on clean cooking and nature-based solutions, course participants will gain a detailed understanding of the intricacies of identifying, appraising, launching, monitoring and monetising carbon credit projects in Africa, as well as how the resultant carbon credits are traded and, ultimately, retired. The course equips participants with the tools required to navigate the nuances of a stillnascent industry often characterised by seemingly impenetrable jargon. Carbon credit initiatives are also analysed within the broader context of corporate and national decarbonisation strategies.

  • Background
    • Terminology
    • The climate change journey: from Kyoto to Paris to COP 28
    • The UN SDGs • Country and corporate targets and pledges
    • ‘Net zero’: definitions and implications
    • Emissions accounting: Scope 1, 2, 3
  • Introduction to Carbon credits
    • What are carbon credits?
    • What are carbon offsets?
    • Compliance vs voluntary markets
    • Hybrid markets including RSA’s COAS
    • Avoidance vs removal
    • Qualifying project types
    • Carbon credits and LPG
  • The Regulatory landscape
    • The main standards organisations
    • The UN ‘Article 6.4’ and ‘Article 6.2’ markets
    • Project validators
    • Guidance and governance bodies
    • Additionality
    • Other key players in the project ecosystem
    • Criticisms and scandals
  • The Carbon credit market in Africa
    • Market size and geographical spread
    • Project types and scales
    • Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI)
  • The Project cycle
    • Project identification
    • Project economics and investment appraisal
    • Methodology selection and emissions calculations
    • Project validation
    • Monitoring, Reporting and Verification
    • MRV Report
    • Offset issuance and retirement
  • Case studies
    • South Africa – Afforestation and reforestation
    • Uganda – Biodigesters/biogas
    • Zambia – Improved cookstove (ICS) distribution
    • Kenya – Bioethanol cookstove distribution
    • DRC – Avoided deforestation (REDD+)
    • Senegal – Mangrove restoratio
  • Pricing, trading and project economics
    • Global trading landscape
    • Key platforms, pricing agencies and brokers
    • Contract types and specifications
    • Vintages and other differentiators
    • Typical values by contract type
    • Implications for project economics

Course consultant : James McCullagh, CITAC Executive Director