A background report for the Political Ecologies of Carbon in Africa research project.

This report provides a mapping of the status and characteristics of forest carbon projects in Africa in late 2012, focusing on Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. It describes the three main types of forest carbon mechanisms in which African projects and programmes participate, CDM, VCM, and REDD+, comparing their technical and institutional characteristics. It then explores the geographical distribution of forest carbon projects, markets, and programmes at international and regional levels, comparing African participation with that of other regions. Finally, the report examines the status, discourses, ecologies, actors, and financial information concerning 37 forest carbon projects taking place in Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and Sierra Leone. In conclusion, some general patterns are highlighted which pose key questions for further research.