In Conversation with Mussa Kamanula — Director of Carbon, Nature Based Solutions

Ensuring that implementation of carbon projects is in line with required standards and protocols. That is the simplest way to put it. What that looks like in practice is a continuous process of checking: are we collecting the right data in the right way? Are our methodologies sound? Are we meeting the requirements of the carbon standards we are working under? It sounds technical because it is — but the underlying purpose is straightforward. Every decision I make in this role is in service of making sure that when we say we have reduced emissions, that claim is true and verifiable.

At first, climate change felt distant to me — just reports and global goals that seemed far removed from everyday life. That changed when I saw how it actually affects livelihoods. Farmers facing delayed rains, droughts and floods that lead to poor harvests and lost income. When you see that at close range, the issue stops being abstract. What then really inspired me was learning how ecosystem restoration can both fight climate change and help communities and other stakeholders earn income through carbon credits. That combination — environmental impact and direct community benefit — is what made me want to build a career in this space.

To me, integrity means doing what is right, even when it is challenging — and being consistent and accountable in how you do it. At iRise, that shapes how I approach every aspect of my work. We are committed to delivering practical, real-world climate solutions, and that means adhering to government guidelines and carbon standards, but also designing mitigation measures to address any potential negative impacts our activities might have. A concrete example: iRise has developed a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report for our Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation project in Kasungu. That is not a box-ticking exercise. It is what responsible project development looks like.

The process starts with field data collection, where carbon stocks and project activities are measured on the ground. That data is then compiled into a monitoring report following the requirements of whichever carbon standard we are working under. An independent third-party auditor reviews the report and may conduct site visits to confirm accuracy. If the results are deemed credible, the auditor issues a verification statement, after which we submit a request for issuance. Finally, the approved carbon credits are issued and recorded in an official registry, making them available for sale. Each step has to hold up to scrutiny — because the whole system depends on every part of it being honest.

Additionality means demonstrating that a carbon project would not have happened without carbon finance. If a forest would have been protected anyway, or if farmers would have adopted better practices regardless, then the carbon credits generated do not represent genuine additional reductions. This matters because it is the foundation of environmental integrity. Without additionality, you can issue credits for actions that would have happened in a business-as-usual scenario — and that undermines the entire purpose of the carbon market. For projects like ours, we need to show that iRise's interventions are genuinely changing what would otherwise have happened on that land. That is not a theoretical exercise — it is a rigorous, documented case that has to hold up to independent audit.