2023-12-08 20:10:00
With a large area of green spaces, Benin certainly has a real carbon niche, essential in the fight against climate change. It is to capitalize on this heritage and position itself on the carbon market that the country created the Carbon Project Registration Authority, which it presented at COP28.
Benin has experienced longer rainy seasons in recent years which have led, among other things, to flooding, coastal erosion and losses of several hectares of harvest. This is proof that the country is already suffering the full brunt of climate change.
To gradually eliminate these harmful consequences for the populations on different levels, several reforms have been undertaken by the government. Since 2016, some have banned the cutting of wood and deforestation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Building on the benefits of these reforms, the government has resolved to position itself on the carbon market.
Operation of the carbon market
The carbon market system is identical to that of the exchange centers. On this market, CO2 emitting countries buy their remaining carbon credits from less emitting countries.
The system was put in place to force major polluters to reduce their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by opting, for example, for renewable energies instead of fossil energies (coal, oil, gas). It is therefore agreed that a carbon credit corresponds to one metric ton of CO2 absorbed or reduced. The carbon market is therefore an important tool in the fight against global warming and in achieving carbon neutrality in territories.
The plant cover of Benin, a solution against climate change
Between 1990 and 2016, Benin was considered a CO2 emitter. From 2020, carbon sequestration sinks have been identified throughout the national territory. All things that motivate the government to consider these wells as a solution to the problem of climate change. The Carbon Project Registration Authority created will not only conquer the carbon market but also work to secure these sinks.
“Today when a promoter wants to implement a project, the Authority is responsible for verifying whether this project meets the guidelines in terms of sustainable development and taking mitigation measures to allow our country to position itself on the market carbon”explains the Director General of Environment and Climate, Martin Pépin Aina.
With the creation of this structure, Benin could no longer rely solely on climate funds made available to developing countries to implement its climate change mitigation projects. The country, already classified as a non-CO2 emitter thanks to its climate action plan also called NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution)forecasts a 20.5% reduction in gas emissions by 2030.
These reforms allowed Benin to establish a partnership with the Gold Standard label, an entity recognized internationally for the certification of projects to reduce GHG emissions. “This is a step forward in climate financing. This partnership now allows us to have training to better understand what the carbon market is, the carbon credit and what a good carbon project represents. noted the president of the Carbon Project Registration Authority Adidjatou Hassan, during her presentation at COP28 in Dubai.
Omoladé Nadège Sanny
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