Farmer-led carbon reduction project to transform rural livelihoods for 240,000 Zambians

New York Climate Week – A new community-led carbon initiative has launched in Zambia which is set to remove up to 2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2030. By harnessing climate finance, the project will enable 240,000 Zambians to build more resilient, sustainable livelihoods while also restoring degraded landscapes.

Developed by Community Climate Solutions (CCS) and brought to market by Climate Impact Partners, The Ecopreneur Movement – Miombo Woodland Restoration Project is driven by local communities and farmers, who both benefit from and drive environmental change. Rural farmers, trained and supported as  “Ecopreneurs”, are restoring Zambia’s degraded Miombo Woodlands – a critical carbon sink – through tree planting, sustainable farming, and fire prevention, creating lasting environmental and economic resilience.

A short documentary showcasing the project can be viewed here.

Farmers are paid upfront for their eco-services via seed funding from CCS, with 60% of available carbon revenues going directly to farmers and communities (after standard registry and regulatory fees). To date, 25,000 farmers have enrolled as Ecopreneurs, with numbers expected to double by the end of 2025 – laying the foundation for one of the most ambitious community-led restoration projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.

By 2030, the project aims to plant 30 million native trees and remove up to 2 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Farmers are achieving these outcomes through two core strategies:

• Introducing Native Trees to Farmlands – on existing agricultural land, farmers are planting trees alongside crops and livestock to improve soil health, boost food production, and remove carbon through the trees and soil. 
• Restoring Miombo Woodlands – farmers are protecting natural regrowth, planting native species, and preventing fires, reviving biodiversity and capturing carbon in the process.

To ensure the highest levels of integrity, the project’s progress is monitored through a combination of satellite imagery and local field teams, measuring ecological outcomes such as fire reduction, increases in above-ground woody biomass and soil carbon accumulation. Digital payments are tracked at an individual farmer level, while overall project revenues will be tracked, published, and independently audited.

“Every farmer is an Ecopreneur – driving real environmental change while building a sustainable livelihood,” said Samuel Gantner, CEO, Community Climate Solutions. ”Farmers are driving the solutions through their work in the Miombo Woodland Restoration Project, generating lasting incomes, restoring ecosystems, while removing millions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere.”

“Scaling carbon markets with integrity starts with projects like this that are rooted in communities, led by farmers, and designed from the ground up to deliver lasting impact,” said Sheri Hickok, CEO, Climate Impact Partners. “Every fire prevented and sapling planted restores ecosystems, improves livelihoods, and removes carbon from the atmosphere. With rigorous design and deep development expertise, this project demonstrates how carbon finance can help scale local solutions year after year, while helping companies meet their net-zero goals.” 

Carbon credits are expected to begin issuance in 2027, with verified removals delivered over a 40-year period. The project is structured to deliver community benefits and landscape protection for more than a century.

Climate Impact Partners will register the project under Verra’s latest reforestation methodology (VM0047), which is approved under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles label. It is targeting Verra’s new ABACUS quality label at first verification.

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