Pearl Nkrumah
Access Bank (Ghana) Plc has been authorised by the Carbon Market Office (CMO) to operate as a licensed carbon credit broker in Ghana, making it one of a select group of institutions cleared to trade in the country’s regulated carbon market.
The certification, granted under Ghana’s Framework for International Carbon Market and Non-Market Approaches and the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 2025 (Act 1124), allows the bank to facilitate and intermediate transactions in carbon credits, including Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs).
New Role in Climate Finance
With the license, Access Bank can now connect buyers and sellers of carbon credits, broker deals in both primary and secondary markets, and act as a market arranger linking Ghanaian project developers to international buyers, carbon funds and climate finance institutions.
The bank will also offer carbon market advisory services. These will be integrated with its existing green loans, sustainability-linked lending and transition finance products to provide clients with what it calls an “end-to-end” pathway to decarbonisation.
Managing Director, Pearl Nkrumah, said the certification aligns with the bank’s broader sustainability agenda.
“This certification affirms Access Bank’s position as a trusted partner in Ghana’s transition to a low-carbon economy. As a licensed carbon credit broker, we are able to connect project developers, investors and corporates to credible, well-structured carbon market opportunities, while upholding the highest standards of transparency and regulatory compliance,” she said.
Head of Public Sector and Sustainability, Priscilla Ashiam, noted the significance for government institutions.
“This recognition is particularly significant for the public sector, where decarbonisation commitments increasingly require credible access to carbon markets. As a certified broker, Access Bank is well positioned to support government agencies and state institutions in structuring carbon transactions that align with national climate goals,” she said.
Building on Group Track Record
The Ghana license extends Access Bank Group’s climate finance work across Africa. In 2019, Access Bank Plc in Nigeria became the first African corporate to receive Climate Bonds Initiative certification for a green bond, raising N15 billion to fund low-carbon projects in manufacturing, transport and agriculture.
Access Bank Ghana said it will work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Carbon Market Office to help grow a well-regulated carbon market, while supporting public sector bodies and large corporates to meet their decarbonisation targets.
Demand for climate finance intermediation is rising across Africa as countries seek to monetize emission reductions and attract investment into clean energy, forestry and agriculture projects.
A Buisness Desk Report