Sovereign Carbon Agency

What Sovereign Carbon Agency does

Sovereign Carbon Agency (SCA) is a government state entity of the Republic of Djibouti, established in 2023 by Presidential Decree No. 2023-074-PRE under the supervision of the Presidency of the Republic. It operates as the sole national authority authorized to define carbon contribution terms and approve program funding in Djibouti, implementing the country's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 under the Paris Agreement.

SCA's core technology is the Sovereign Carbon Registry (Registre Carbone Souverain), a centralized digital platform hosted at djibouti.asc-registry.org that records greenhouse gas emissions, tracks carbon contributions, and manages offsetting obligations. The platform is overseen by the independent African Sovereign Carbon Registry (ASCR) Foundation to ensure data neutrality and impartiality. Supplementary tools include dedicated aviation and maritime certification forms for movement declaration and fuel-based calculation of contributions, plus an interactive project map visualizing offset and sequestration projects across Djibouti.

The agency operates a dual revenue model under the Polluter Pays principle: mandatory carbon contributions from obligated entities (aviation operators, maritime vessels, institutional organizations, and foreign armed forces), and voluntary contributions from companies, local authorities, and individuals. Collected funds are channeled into environmental and energy projects including reforestation, biodiversity preservation, renewable energy production, and food sovereignty programs, often co-financed with third-party specialized investors. SCA is registered as a government state entity in Djibouti with 7 employees and no private equity or venture capital involvement.

Name

Sovereign Carbon Agency

Legal name

Sovereign Carbon Agency

Website

https://sovereign-carbon-agency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sovereign Carbon Agency is the Djibouti government entity authorized by Presidential Decree to collect mandatory carbon contributions from aviation, maritime, institutional, and foreign armed forces operators, and to channel funds into reforestation, biodiversity, renewable energy, and food sovereignty projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Carbon Compliance Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD), Carbon Markets & Climate Finance (Offsets, Allowances, Carbon Funds) (FSAAALAH)

Keywords

• Carbon contribution mechanism
• Sovereign carbon registry
• Aviation maritime emissions
• Voluntary carbon offsetting
• Polluter pays compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Djibouti

HQ country

Djibouti

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mandatory Carbon Contributions: Carbon contributions collected from obligated entities (aviation sector, maritime sector, institutional organizations, foreign armed forces) based on the 'Polluter Pays' principle. These contributions are institutionalized by Presidential Decree Article 2 and are the primary revenue mechanism for funding environmental and energy projects.
2. Voluntary Carbon Contributions: Contributions received from voluntary economic actors operating in Djibouti who join the initiative and contribute through expertise, know-how, or financing. Governed by Article 6 of the Presidential Decree.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sovereign Carbon Agency is the sole entity authorized by Djibouti's Presidential Decree to collect mandatory carbon contributions from aviation operators, maritime operators, institutional organizations, and foreign armed forces, while also accepting voluntary contributions from companies, local authorities, and individuals. Collected funds finance environmental, energy, and social impact programs such as reforestation, biodiversity preservation, renewable energy, and food sovereignty projects. The agency's central operational tool is the Sovereign Carbon Registry, a digital platform for registering emissions, tracking contribution obligations, and verifying carbon offsetting.

Product overview

The Sovereign Carbon Agency operates a unified platform consisting of the Sovereign Carbon Registry (the central tracking and compliance system), carbon contribution mechanisms (mandatory and voluntary), movement certification forms for maritime and aviation sectors, an interactive project map, and impact programs. The system is built around the Presidential Decree and supports Djibouti's commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 per the Paris Agreement. The platform enables obligated entities in aviation and maritime sectors, institutional organizations, and foreign armed forces to declare movements, track contributions, and purchase carbon credits, while the agency channels funds into environmental projects including reforestation, biodiversity preservation, and renewable energy production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sovereign Carbon Initiative: The main initiative launched by presidential decree to promote and develop programs with social, energy and environmental impacts for sustainable economic development of Djibouti.
• Initiative Souveraine Carbone
• Sovereign Carbon Registry
• Registre Carbone Souverain

Products and services

• Sovereign Carbon Registry (Registre Carbone Souverain) Central digital registry platform enabling obligated entities to register emissions and track contribution obligations, and allowing voluntary actors to declare commitments and valorize compensation efforts. Provides transparent, verifiable information conforming to international standards and is supervised by the ASCR Foundation for independent governance.
• Maritime Stopover Certification Online certification form for shipping operators to declare vessel movements, fuel consumption, vessel type, and distances for port stopovers in Djibouti, and to calculate mandatory carbon contributions per the Presidential Decree.
• Air Movement Certification Online certification form for airlines and aviation operators to declare flight details, aircraft type, fuel consumption, and distances for departures from and arrivals in Djibouti, and to calculate mandatory carbon contributions.
• Carbon Contribution Mechanism Mandatory and voluntary carbon contribution system based on the Polluter Pays principle, requiring obligated emitters in aviation, maritime, institutional organizations, and foreign armed forces to pay carbon contributions, with voluntary participation open to all economic actors in Djibouti.
• Interactive Project Map Geographic visualization platform showing completed, pending, and all carbon offset and sequestration projects implemented under the Sovereign Carbon Initiative across Djibouti.
• Impact Programs Environmental and energy programs including reforestation, biodiversity preservation and restoration, renewable energy production, and food sovereignty projects funded through collected carbon contributions and developed with specialized third-party investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ASCR Foundation (African Sovereign Carbon Registry Foundation)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe ASCR Foundation provides independent oversight and governance for Djibouti's Sovereign Carbon Registry. The Foundation ensures that registered data, audits, and certifications are conducted with neutrality, impartiality, and independence, free from public or private interference. SCA is a member of the Foundation alongside other carbon agencies that have transferred their registries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gold Standard: Gold Standard certifies carbon credits and runs a registry for emission-reduction projects. Peer to SCA because both align carbon market activity with international climate frameworks and provide verifiable emissions data infrastructure.
• Climate Action Reserve (CAR): CAR is a leading North American carbon offset registry with protocols for project verification and credit issuance. Comparable to SCA as both operate registry platforms that enable transparent tracking of emissions and offsetting activity.
• Verra: Verra operates the world's largest voluntary carbon credit standard and registry. Comparable to SCA because both run carbon registries enabling emission tracking, verification, and credit issuance, though Verra operates globally under voluntary standards while SCA operates a national mandatory mechanism.
• American Carbon Registry: ACR is an enterprise-grade carbon registry under the Winrock International umbrella. Peer to SCA because both serve as authoritative national/regional carbon registries supporting verification, issuance, and retirement of carbon credits.

Emerging players

• Plan Vivo: Plan Vivo is a carbon certification standard focused on community-based nature-based projects. Comparable to SCA as both channel carbon finance into reforestation, biodiversity, and sustainable development projects with verified impact.
• Puro.earth: Puro.earth is a carbon removal registry for engineered carbon removal credits. Comparable to SCA because both operate registries that administer issuance and tracking of carbon credits against defined protocols.
• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent ratings and MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) data for carbon credits. Comparable to SCA's registry role in providing transparent, verifiable emissions and offsetting data for carbon market participants.
• BeZero Carbon: BeZero provides independent carbon credit ratings and market intelligence. Adjacent peer to SCA because both serve the integrity infrastructure of carbon markets by certifying and validating the quality of carbon credits.

Direct peers

• South Pole Group: South Pole is a major carbon project developer and climate solutions provider. Comparable to SCA because both originate nature-based and tech-based carbon projects and connect them to compliance and voluntary carbon markets.

Others

• ICAO (CORSIA): ICAO administers the CORSIA aviation carbon offsetting framework. Related to SCA because SCA's aviation segment directly intersects with CORSIA's compliance pathway, and ICAO standards shape how national mechanisms like SCA's interface with international aviation obligations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sovereign-carbon-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sovereign Carbon Agency