Miombo Restoration Alliance launches four large-scale carbon removal projects

Pictured: Site of one of Africa’s largest native species seedling nurseries in central Malawi, developed under the Miombo Malawi Restoration Project. The nursery will reach an annual capacity of 11 million seedlings. Image credit: Mamaland.

Geneva, 29 January 2026 – The Miombo Restoration Alliance (“the Alliance”), a public-private partnership dedicated to restoring Africa’s Miombo woodlands, today announced the launch of its first carbon removal projects across four countries. The projects in Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi total an estimated direct expenditure and investment of over USD$1 billion over the projects’ lifetimes¹, in addition to revenue-share agreements benefitting approximately 100,000 community members, participant farmers, and national governments. This milestone marks the Alliance’s transition from design to implementation, with the first four projects estimated to remove over 50 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent and covering 675,000 hectares across the Miombo.

Launched by Trafigura, a consortium of non-governmental organisations, and 11 central and southern African governments at New York Climate Week 2024, the Alliance is the first international public-private initiative focused on producing high-integrity carbon removal credits. Projects are developed under a consistent ecological and governance framework, advised by Alliance partners, and generate credits under Article 6 through native species restoration and agroforestry activities.

The Alliance has exceeded its initial target and Alliance partners have already begun deploying capital. In 2025, it also strengthened its partner network, with the addition of Carbon Direct as scientific and project design advisor, and engaged Terraspect as the payments infrastructure provider supporting with traceable local disbursements.

John Gantt, CEO of the ICCF Group, commented: “We are thrilled to see the Miombo Restoration Alliance driving large-scale, native-species restoration. This African-led initiative is on track to become one of the planet's largest restoration projects, benefiting millions of people and conserving a vast, irreplaceable ecosystem. We are excited to advance this alliance alongside tremendous public and private sector partners, led by 11 African governments. As the project is implemented, these investments will deploy critical resources for communities and conservation areas across the region.”

Hannah Hauman, Head of Carbon at Trafigura, commented: "We are delighted to announce our first projects under the Miombo Restoration Alliance, proving the framework approach of mobilising private capital at scale for restoration under Article 6. We are grateful to our host country governments for their leadership and vision, and to our partners for their expertise. As the Miombo Restoration Alliance moves from design to implementation, we look forward to delivering high-integrity carbon removal credits to global customers and long-term benefits for communities across the region.”

Jonathan Goldberg, Founder & CEO of Carbon Direct: “Carbon Direct is excited to collaborate with Trafigura as they work to bring reforestation and agroforestry carbon removal projects to market. We are committed to bringing quality, science-grounded climate solutions to market with the potential for scaled impact for both climate and communities, and we look forward to working with Trafigura to advance this meaningful work.”

First Four Projects

1. Malawi: Miombo Malawi Restoration Project

Working with Mamaland, a Mota-Engil Company, the Project incorporates a mosaic of conservation and restoration activities totalling over 550,000 hectares. In addition to the core restoration activities, the project includes the recent completion of one of the largest native species nurseries in Africa, nursery capacity earmarked for community agroforestry programs, an “energetic forest” of a minimum 10,000 hectares for sustainable timber to address degradation causes, and a direct revenue share to communities and government, in addition to a substantial direct employment program.

Luís de Sousa, CEO at Mamaland, commented: “For Mota-Engil, participation in the Miombo Restoration Alliance through Mamaland is a strategic commitment to operating at the scale the planet now demands. Mamaland, which traces its roots to 1923 when its first land concessions were purchased, was later acquired by Manuel António da Mota in Angola, the founder of the Mota-Engil Group. Mamaland builds on these origins and is focused on delivering large-scale systems that restore ecosystems and create lasting value, reflecting our shared ambition with Trafigura to move decisively from vision to execution.”

2. Zambia: Miombo Zambia Agroforestry Project

Working with ETG Climate Solutions, the initiative will rehabilitate degraded lands by introducing agroforestry systems to over 45,000 farmers in Zambia’s Western Province. Participating farmers benefit from both carbon credit revenues and agroforestry outputs in the program. The agroforestry project will support the development of a local cashew market, including the provision of local processing.

Fernando Barreiro, CEO at ETG Climate Solutions, commented: “The Miombo Zambia Agroforestry Project underscores the importance of strong commercial collaborations in delivering credible, large-scale climate outcomes. We are pleased to be working with Trafigura and the Miombo Restoration Alliance to deploy a consistent, high-integrity approach to native species restoration and agroforestry in Zambia. Through this collaboration, we are supporting tens of thousands of smallholder farmers, strengthening landscape resilience, and ensuring that long-term environmental and economic benefits are shared with local communities.”

3. Mozambique: Miombo Mozambique Restoration Project

Working with the Gorongosa Restoration Project, an established public-private partnership founded in 2008 between the Government of Mozambique and the Greg Carr Foundation, a US philanthropic organisation, this project expands and restores up to 25,000 hectares of degraded Miombo woodland and Afromontane rainforest in the buffer zone to one of Mozambique’s most iconic national parks.

Greg Carr, Founder and Chair of the Gorongosa Restoration Project, commented: “At the Gorongosa Restoration Project, we believe there is no human health without ecosystem health. That is why we are proud to be one of the first flagship projects of the Alliance, and to be leveraging carbon finance to scale the restoration of healthy, productive native ecosystems for the benefit of Gorongosa's communities and wildlife.”

4. Tanzania: Miombo Lake Victoria Agroforestry Project

The Miombo Lake Victoria Agroforestry Project, in collaboration with Trees for the Future (TREES) and Component Earth, advances the Alliance’s East African strategy to pair ecological regeneration with long-term livelihood development. Since 2007, TREES has worked with smallholder farmers across Lake Victoria’s Tanzanian shores to support the transition from monoculture farming to more productive, diversified agroforestry methods. Through TREES’ Forest Garden Approach, farmers increase income, food security and resilience while restoring their soils fertility and accelerating biodiversity recovery.

As a UN World Restoration Flagship, TREES is recognised as one of the leading large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts on the planet.

Tim McLellan, CEO of TREES, commented: “TREES’ mission is to support smallholder farmers to restore their land and unlock prosperity. Through farmer education and expanded access to seeds and plants, farmers see greater yields on their farms alongside new income from carbon credits in their pockets. We are thrilled to work with Trafigura and the Miombo Restoration Alliance so we can continue to plant this impact at landscape scale in the critical Lake Victoria watershed.”

Robert Z. Lee, CEO of Component Earth, added: “Component Earth’s team has collaborated with TREES on the Lake Victoria project since 2021, helping transform the program from a philanthropically funded initiative into a scalable carbon finance model while integrating carbon market best practices and technologies. This collaboration with the Miombo Restoration Alliance represents the next chapter in scaling the program from its initial phase supported by Component Earth to its full potential.”

ENDS  

Notes to editors
¹ Projects’ lifetime is defined as 40 years, in accordance with VM0047 carbon methodology.