Minister Wiskes assures UN COP 31 of Malawi’s considerable progress in establishing policy and institutional foundations for carbon market

* Malawi views carbon trading not merely as a mechanism for generating and selling carbon credits, but as a means of generating additional climate finance

* To support national climate and sustainable development priorities, including the NDC and National Adaptation Plan

By Tikondane Vega, Ministry of Natural Resources PRO

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 31, taking place in Antalya, Turkey, where she launched Malawi’s Parliamentary Action on Carbon Markets Minister of Natural Resources, Patricia Wiskes emphasised that the recognises carbon markets, especially under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as vital for mobilising climate finance and accelerating its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Wiskes said Malawi views carbon trading not merely as a mechanism for generating and selling carbon credits, but as a means of generating additional climate finance to support national climate and sustainable development priorities, including the NDC and National Adaptation Plan.

She highlighted that the Ministry of Natural Resources has made considerable progress in establishing policy and institutional foundations for carbon markets, including the 2016 National Climate Change Policy — the latest greenhouse gas inventory in 2025 and the National Carbon Market Framework.

She thus invited project developers, carbon credit buyers and investors to explore opportunities within Malawi’s emerging carbon market ecosystem.

The Minister is accompanied by chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, Tiaone Hendry, who described parliamentary action on carbon markets, Article 6, and climate finance as vital because lawmakers hold the constitutional authority to translate international climate pledges into binding national law, approve budgets and enforce transparency.

She said the initiative aims to bridge the gap where carbon markets are typically managed solely by environment ministries, without engaging national parliaments through their law-making, budget-allocating and convening powers.