Africa's Green Economy Summit Inspires Climate Change Innovation And Private Sector Investment

Robin Bartmann's passion and enthusiasm for mangroves is palpable. "I am fascinated by mangroves," he admits with a grin. Bartmann is the COO of Vlinder in Kenya, an organisation that restores mangroves to combat climate change, enhance biodiversity and empower communities through fair carbon sharing and sustainable livelihoods. The project is designed to plant 4.2 million mangrove trees, sequestering approximately 911,660 tCO2e over a 30-year crediting period, with potential extensions.

Vlinder it means butterfly in Dutch was one of nearly 60 investment-ready start-ups, projects and some multi-million dollar infrastructure developments totalling 7.2 billion looking for financial backing at the Investment Pitches at Africa's Green Economy Summit AGES that took place in Cape Town in February. The event connected high-impact projects with global investors, offering a dynamic platform to engage and foster real-world investment in Africa's green economy.

Bartmann was also part of the AGES Carbon Markets Masterclass, sharing key experience and insight into what it takes to successfully run a successful carbon credit project. "I was excited about the opportunity of pricing nature," he explained, "83 of global carbon is in the ocean, and mangrove eco-systems remove carbon from the atmosphere at a rate 10 times greater and sequester 3-5 times more carbon than other forests."

The third edition of AGES had high-level institutional and private sector support, including, among others, Sanlam Investments, the African Union, SA Tourism, African Development Bank, DBSA, Standard Bank, Gauteng Department of Economic Development, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the UNDP. The theme for this year's event was Building a Climate Resilient Africa: Catalysing Investment and Innovation in the Green and Blue Economies .

Common themes during AGES were discussions about derisking not only Africa as an investment destination but also climate finance for the continent, particularly for a sceptical and careful private sector.