By Obinna Uballa
Carbon finance project developer TASC has been announced as the diamond sponsor of the inaugural Carbon Markets Africa Summit, scheduled for October 22–23 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The event, according to the organizers, is expected to bring together stakeholders from across the carbon markets sector, including regulators, project developers, investors, and international development organisations, to discuss opportunities and challenges in advancing Africa’s role in global carbon trading.
Recall that TASC, which operates across sub-Saharan Africa and Australia, focuses on large-scale carbon projects designed to combine environmental benefits with social impact.
The company’s CEO for Africa, Shelley Estcourt, said its decision to participate in the summit underscores thevfirm’s emphasis on community-driven initiatives supported by scientific rigour.
He noted that among TASC’s flagship programmes is a clean cookstove initiative, which has provided more than 950,000 households in rural South Africa with cleaner cooking technology.
The project, identified and recognized for its 2023 Environmental Finance Voluntary Carbon Market Award, is aimed at reducing emissions while improving public health.
The company has also launched the Grassland Restoration and Stewardship in South Africa (GRASS) project, which “seeks to restore degraded rangelands, improve biodiversity, and enhance carbon sequestration.”
According to TASC, the initiative is the first of its kind to be registered under Verra’s VM0042 methodology, allowing for independently verified carbon credits.
TASC is planning further expansion across Africa and into the Australasian region, particularly in countries with advanced frameworks under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which provides mechanisms for international carbon trading.
