Voluntary carbon markets: Slow violence for indigenous communities in the Global South?

Abstract

Liz Mwangi is doing an MPhil in Environmental Humanities at the University of Cape Town. In that capacity she is associated with Environmental Humanities South (EHS).

At the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, held in Nairobi in September 2023, discussions about carbon trading dominated many conversations. Kenyan President William Ruto said Africa’s carbon sinks provide an “unparalleled economic goldmine” and called for “a new way of doing business.” Many commentators, however, believe the real winners in the carbon trading markets are the financial brokers in the developed countries who operate these controversial global markets. LIZ MWANGI elaborates on this perspective.