The buzz around Uganda’s growing carbon market has reached the halls of the Bonn Climate Summit, where activists and experts are raising urgent concerns about who really benefits from these environmental schemes. As Uganda rolls out its new Carbon Market Regulations set to take effect in November 2024, the international community is watching closely to see if these rules will protect vulnerable communities or simply create another way for big polluters to buy their way out of responsibility.

At heated sessions in Germany, climate campaigners sounded the alarm about what they call “carbon colonialism” – where wealthy nations and corporations use developing countries like Uganda as cheap places to offset pollution while doing little to actually reduce emissions. “We can’t keep treating the air we breathe like a stock market commodity,” said Claire Chaslo from the Environmental Network, capturing the frustration of many activists in attendance.

Uganda has become something of a testing ground for carbon projects in Africa. The country currently has over 33 million carbon credits in circulation, mostly tied to forest conservation, clean cookstove distribution, and water purification initiatives. One of its most ambitious efforts – the GRO Afforestation Project launched this May – aims to plant 255 million native trees over the next 45 years. If successful, it could capture nearly 140 million tonnes of carbon dioxide while generating millions in revenue from credit sales.

But behind these impressive numbers lie difficult questions. Local communities near some projects complain they see little of the money while facing restrictions on how they use their land. Medical professionals at the summit connected these environmental issues directly to public health, noting how fossil fuel pollution and climate change are driving increases in respiratory diseases and waterborne illnesses across East Africa.

The challenges don’t stop there. Experts point out that Uganda’s carbon market still suffers from inconsistent standards, technical gaps in tracking emissions reductions, and no local platform for trading credits. Some tree-planting initiatives have been accused of failing to properly consult communities or prove their work wouldn’t have happened without carbon funding – a key requirement called “additionality.”

As Uganda negotiates carbon credit deals with countries like Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, activists demand these agreements include strong protections for local people. “What we need isn’t more middlemen profiting from our forests,” said Kwami Kpondzo, a Togolese activist at the summit. “We need real climate solutions that put power and resources directly in the hands of communities on the frontlines.”

The debate comes as Uganda faces growing climate emergencies – from deadly landslides in Bududa to worsening droughts in cattle grazing areas. These disasters highlight the urgent need for action but also the risks of rushing into carbon schemes without proper safeguards.

Government officials argue their new regulations will address many concerns by aligning Uganda’s system with international standards under the Paris Agreement. The rules aim to create clearer guidelines for measuring emissions cuts, sharing benefits with local communities, and ensuring transparency in credit trading.

As the Bonn summit wraps up, the message to Uganda and other developing nations is clear: Carbon markets could help fund climate action, but only if designed carefully. “The world is watching,” said Assem Gebreal, an Egyptian campaigner. “Will these carbon deals become tools for justice, or just another form of exploitation dressed in green?” With the new regulations taking effect soon, Uganda may soon provide the answer.