A dispute is escalating between global carbon credit regulator Verra and the massive Kariba REDD+ project in Zimbabwe over an alleged "oversupply" of carbon credits, it has been established.
The Kariba REDD+ project is a forest conservation initiative aimed at providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for poor communities in Northern Zimbabwe.
Internal documents have revealed that Verra is citing flaws in its own methodology to demand a "payback" of over 15 million credits it claims were erroneously issued.
This is despite the fact that Verra itself monitored, audited, verified, and validated the Kariba project five times, and the project developers followed Verra's prescribed rules.
According to the documents, Verra claims that under its VM0009 methodology, it "over credited" the Kariba REDD+ project by an excess of 15,220,520 verified carbon units (VCUs).
The conflict is detailed in a letter dated September 23, 2025, from Verra's chief programme management officer, Justin Wheler, to Carbon Green Investment, the project developer.
The letter stated that Verra suspended the Kariba project in October 2023 following serious allegations raised in a New Yorker article, initiating a complex review.
Wheler explained that the review found the actual deforestation rate in the project's reference area was "significantly lower" than the initial baseline had projected.
- Kariba carbon credits dispute escalates
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“"As part of Verra’s review, it was found that the actual deforestation observed in the reference area of the project followed a significantly lower curve than projected under the initial baseline and that a significant portion of the credits were issued beyond the revised curve, i.e., beyond the updated baseline bodies (VVBs) for response,” he wrote.
Consequently, a "significant portion" of the credits were issued against an inflated threat.
Normally, a project would correct these in future monitoring periods, but since the Kariba project withdrew from the Verra registry, no such opportunity exists, leading to Verra's demand for compensation.
In a response dated September 25, 2025, Carbon Green Investment challenged Verra's findings, citing a "lack of accompanying detail" to support the claim.
The company argued that it does not issue credits itself; Verra does so only after completing all formalities and audits.
"The Kariba REDD+ credits have all been issued after five separate audits over the period, and we are not sure why Verra did not pick up any anomaly on the project then," the letter reads in part.
“The project proponent (Kariba Reds+) does not issue himself or herself the number of credits but are issued by Verra after all formalities are done.”
Carbon Green Investment demanded the supporting documents within seven days and called for a "constructive and transparent engagement."
The government has suspended all new carbon credit registrations due to a lack of oversight, aiming to strengthen environmental protection and forest revival efforts.
