As Malawi is positioning itself as a credible participant under the Paris Agreement to attract climate finance for green investments, an environmental expert has called on authorities to start taking forestry crimes seriously.
In an interview with The Atlas, Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of Natural Capital Advisory, Bruce Sosola noted that currently, law enforcement and the judiciary treat these crimes as minor offences, exacerbating deforestation.
Natural Capital Advisory is a local climate, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability consulting firm based in Lilongwe. It is dedicated to empowering organisations and communities in Malawi to harness the value of natural resources while driving sustainable development and meaningful climate action.
“Malawi needs to strengthen law enforcement, from forest guards to the judiciary, to combat illegal logging. Currently, it’s not treated as a serious crime, unlike wildlife offences. We must recognise forestry crimes as serious offences and impose stricter penalties, as outlined in the Forestry (Amendment) Act, 2019.
“Once we do that, we will preserve our forests. The more we do that, the more we are to benefit from the growing carbon market,” he said
The Forestry (Amendment) Act, 2019, enacted in Malawi, strengthens law enforcement by empowering forest officers to carry firearms during duty.
It strengthens forest management by increasing penalties for forest crimes (up to 20 years in prison), regulating the charcoal trade, and authorizing forest officers to carry firearms. Key changes include stricter control over forest produce, promotion of community-based management, and enhanced enforcement against illegal logging and encroachment.
In 2025, Malawi launched a Carbon Market Framework which provides a binding structure for engaging in international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It supports sustainable development by enabling verified carbon credit projects, particularly in forestry and land use.
The framework aims to ensure transparency, equity, and environmental integrity while aligning with national climate goals. It paves the way for Malawi to participate in global carbon trading, generate green financing, and scale up climate action.
Carbon trade is a sustainable environmental initiative that aims to mitigate carbon emissions through reforestation and foster environmentally friendly practices. It generates revenue for participating countries.
Malawi has the potential of earning $700 million (about K1.2 trillion) per annum from the carbon market if it can positively implement the Malawi carbon market framework that it launched two weeks ago, according to the ministry.
Last year, Malawi earned K150 million from carbon credit trading through projects under the Green Development Mechanism and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation programme.
Data from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change showed that the funds were realised from the sale of about 75 000 carbon credits.
Carbon offset programmes or carbon financing are financial mechanisms and incentives designed to support projects that reduce greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and methane) or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Recently, Minister of Natural Resources Patricia Wiskes said government has put in place an institutional arrangement to govern carbon trading in the country.
