When developed and implemented responsibly, carbon finance can be a transformative, scalable revenue stream that directly supports community development across Africa’s protected areas. African Parks’ carbon credit programmes assign economic value to intact ecosystems and channel revenue back to local communities and governments, helping to build a conservation-led economy rooted in nature stewardship and equitable benefit sharing. As protected areas across the continent continue to face volatility in traditional funding, whether from fluctuating tourism markets or unpredictable donor cycles, there is an urgent need to diversify financing. Carbon funding, alongside broader nature-based finance instruments, provides an alternative to sustain long-term conservation while directly strengthening livelihoods and climate resilience for communities living in and around these landscapes.