Although Kenyan companies lost out in the first round of international contracts on carbon emissions reduction, the fact that a number of carbon market consultancy firms have decided to base themselves in Nairobi means they should do fair better in the next round. KenGen, the electricity generator that is exploring geothermal opportunities, Mumias Sugar Company, the sugar manufacturer producing electricity from cane waste, and the East Africa Portland Cement that is using biomass to generate energy for its kilns are some of the likely first beneficiaries. One of the reports in the series entitled “Kenya companies lose out on carbon trade”, illustrates the wider picture of how Kenyan companies are pursuing climate change investment projects to create cheaper, cleaner energy and create new revenue flows.

This article exposed sharp practice at the office of climate change in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the use of funds to protect rainforests. UN climate talks and a prospective U.S. climate bill have laid the foundations for a scheme whereby rich countries pay tropical countries to protect their rainforests and in return earn carbon offsets to help them meet their greenhouse gas emissions targets. But development and environment groups have warned that multi-million carbon deals already taking place in advance of such a deal threaten to stoke corruption and land grabs.Reuters in May ran an exclusive report using leaked 2008 papers which showed that the director of the office of climate change had endorsed a $10 million donation to the office from Australia-based carbon brokers. In return, that deal would have given the brokers exclusive rights to sell the carbon stored in vast swathes of the country's forests even though these are owned by the thousands of people that live in them. Reuters obtained a face-to-face interview in Bali with the director of the office of climate change who confirmed the authenticity of the papers. The report raised concerns of questionable practice in emerging forest carbon markets in Papua New Guinea. Shortly afterwards further news of misdeeds at the Office of Climate Change emerged in The Economist. Both these stories resulted in the Head of this office being suspended. The Reuters story was published as negotiations progressed to include a rainforest carbon market in a global deal to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.