Mozambique achieves international certification for Africa’s largest mangrove restoration project

Mozambique has achieved a significant environmental milestone with the international certification of the MozBlue project in Zambézia province, now recognized as Africa’s largest registered mangrove restoration initiative. This project is also the fourth globally to meet the stringent criteria of the Verra VCS VM0033 methodology, a leading standard for tidal wetland and seagrass restoration. This certification not only underscores Mozambique's commitment to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation but also positions the country as a key player in the global blue carbon market. For legal practitioners, this development highlights the evolving landscape of environmental law, carbon finance, and the critical importance of robust regulatory frameworks, community engagement, and benefit-sharing mechanisms in large-scale conservation projects.

For legal professionals, this development signals a growing intersection between environmental conservation, international carbon markets, and domestic regulatory frameworks. The successful certification of such a large-scale blue carbon project necessitates a deep understanding of complex methodologies, national environmental legislation, land tenure rights, and mechanisms for equitable benefit sharing. This article will delve into the legal and regulatory context underpinning this achievement, analyze the implications of meeting international carbon standards, and discuss the practical considerations for attorneys advising on similar environmental and carbon finance initiatives in Mozambique and across the continent.

The legal landscape for land use, which is critical for restoration projects, is governed by the Land Law (Law No. 19/97, 1997). This law is notable for recognizing community rights to land and mandating community consultation when assigning land use rights to third parties, promoting community participation in land governance. In the context of climate change, Mozambique adopted the National Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy (2012-2025) and has a National Mangrove Management Strategy (2020-2025) aimed at combating degradation and promoting sustainable use. The country has also been developing its carbon market regulation, with the 2018 REDD+ Decree outlining rules for REDD+ projects and establishing state ownership of emission reductions generated in Mozambique. While a comprehensive regulatory framework for carbon trading beyond REDD+ is still evolving, the government is actively working on finalizing new regulations and a Carbon Market Activation Plan, with a National Climate Finance Strategy (Resolution No. 37/2025) recently approved to guide the mobilization and application of climate finance.

The project's certification also aligns with Mozambique's broader international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, to which Mozambique has been a party since 2018. The country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) includes blue carbon-specific pledges, with a target of restoring 5,000 hectares of mangroves. The success of MozBlue demonstrates the country's capacity to contribute to global climate goals while leveraging innovative financing mechanisms. Comparative analysis with other African nations reveals a shared challenge in developing comprehensive carbon market regulations beyond REDD+, making Mozambique's progress in blue carbon particularly noteworthy and a potential model for the region, provided the evolving legal framework effectively addresses issues of transparency, accountability, and equitable distribution of revenues.

Practitioners should also prioritize the negotiation of robust and equitable agreements with local communities, ensuring their meaningful participation, secure land rights, and fair distribution of project revenues. The success of MozBlue serves as a powerful precedent, signaling Mozambique's potential as a leader in blue carbon initiatives. However, realizing this potential fully will depend on the continued strengthening of its legal and institutional frameworks to support transparent, accountable, and socially inclusive carbon market development, offering both opportunities and challenges for the legal profession in the years to come.