Roberto Albino said on Wednesday (20) in Maputo that the government intends to create a national mechanism allowing Mozambique to enter the carbon market directly and access climate financing without relying on international intermediaries.
The intention was presented during the 2nd edition of the High-Level Political Dialogue on the Green Pact.
During his speech, Albino called for technical assistance from the European Union to accelerate the energy transition, improve access to water and energy, and strengthen biodiversity conservation. He said Mozambique aims to make better use of international climate finance opportunities.
The minister stated that the country wants to benefit directly from carbon market revenues, avoiding losses caused by foreign intermediaries. “I receive intermediaries every day who want to help Mozambique enter the carbon market, but they always propose a 30% fee,” he said.
According to Albino, the creation of more transparent and sustainable national mechanisms could allow a larger share of financial benefits to remain in the country. He also advocated strengthening national capacity to manage climate finance and environmental conservation processes.
He explained that the climate agenda is already integrated into national development programs, particularly in strengthening environmental monitoring, reporting, and verification systems. The government also aims to give greater visibility to ecological issues and conservation actions across the country.
Albino acknowledged ongoing challenges in managing conservation areas and territorial planning, noting that many protected area boundaries no longer reflect current realities and need updating based on a more realistic and integrated development approach.
The minister also emphasized the need to accelerate investments in energy and water supply, especially in rural and coastal areas: “We cannot continue with such disparities in access to basic things like water and energy,” he said.
He further criticized social projects that do not generate meaningful economic impact for communities living in conservation zones, noting that reports often show large numbers of beneficiary families but limited financial results. “It is not enough to say many families are benefiting. Those benefits must translate into improved quality of life,” he concluded.
Source: Florença Nhabinde
