In a move to accelerate clean energy access and empower communities across Eastern and Southern Africa, the World Bank has selected the Global Carbon Council (GCC) to lead the development of a high-integrity carbon standard under its Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) program. This recognition underscores GCC’s robust governance, transparent operations, and alignment with international best practices.

Under this initiative, GCC will lead the design and implementation of the ASCENT Energy Access Standard Portal—a dedicated digital platform designed to scale carbon finance for clean energy deployment across Eastern and Southern Africa. In doing so, GCC will apply its independent governance structure and deep technical expertise to ensure full alignment with global standards while enabling practical solutions tailored to regional contexts.

Speaking on the importance of the initiative, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of the Global Carbon Council (GCC), emphasized, “Expanding energy access through carbon markets requires innovative solutions that uphold environmental integrity while delivering real benefits to communities. The ASCENT Program will establish a scalable framework connecting clean energy solutions with climate finance, accelerating sustainable energy access where it is needed most.”

Advancing Energy Access through Market-Based Solutions

GCC will fully apply internationally recognized practices transparently and independently to deliver a high-quality carbon standard. The initiative aims to expand access to clean energy through off-grid solar, mini-grids, grid extensions, and clean cooking technologies, utilizing credible, results-based finance.

As part of its mandate under the ASCENT initiative, GCC will lead a comprehensive enhancement of energy access methodologies by integrating digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) systems to improve transparency, accuracy, and scalability. The program will also streamline validation and verification protocols, enabling simplified processes for large-scale, multi-country initiatives and facilitating the automatic inclusion of Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) and clean cooking technologies under Programs of Activities.

In parallel, GCC is establishing a framework that recognizes the broader sustainable development co-benefits of clean energy deployment, particularly its social and community-level impacts. The end-to-end program cycle—from project registration to credit issuance—will be fully digitized to reduce transaction costs and significantly improve turnaround times. Targeted capacity-building initiatives for Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) are also being designed to strengthen implementation capabilities across participating countries. Finally, the ASCENT standard will be integrated with national carbon registries to support the operationalization of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.

Kishor Rajhansa, Chief Operations Officer, Global Carbon Council (GCC), said, “ASCENT Standard developed by GCC will provide highly flexible, digitized solutions for energy access projects, addressing the needs of both voluntary and compliance markets. It aims to bring efficiency and speed essential for a successful energy transformation.”

Next Steps

GCC will engage with stakeholders across the ASCENT region to operationalize the standard and launch the Energy Access Standard Portal. The initiative is expected to set a global benchmark for linking carbon markets with inclusive energy solutions.

In parallel, GCC has launched its digital carbon market infrastructure solution designed to enable the prompt operationalization of Article 6.2 carbon markets across countries.