The plans, developed with support from the World Bank, aim to help Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo unlock results‑based financing and attract large‑scale investment to protect one of the world’s most critical forest regions.
The Congo Basin is home to the second‑largest tropical rainforest on earth and is recognised as a High Forest, Low Deforestation zone. The new country‑specific roadmaps provide guidance on how governments can credibly engage in carbon markets, strengthen monitoring systems, and ensure equitable benefit‑sharing for local communities.
Chakib Jenane, the World Bank’s Regional Practice Director for Western and Central Africa, said the roadmaps mark a shift from viewing forests only as conservation assets to recognising them as drivers of economic opportunity. “Forests across the Congo Basin offer more than global climate regulation. They represent critical financial assets and a development opportunity,” he said.
The roadmaps draw on data from the Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem Accounts and align with each country’s institutional and technical readiness. They prioritise actions such as improving governance, enhancing digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification systems, and aligning processes with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. These systems are essential for countries to participate effectively in international carbon markets and to guarantee transparency and environmental integrity.
Gabon and the Republic of Congo are already advancing with pilot results‑based agreements and REDD+ initiatives, while Equatorial Guinea and the CAR are still building foundational systems. The DRC and Cameroon also have significant potential, though both face capacity and governance gaps that the roadmaps aim to address.
Cheick Fantamady Kanté of the World Bank said carbon markets could be transformative if robust systems are in place. “These strategic roadmaps provide a practical guide for governments to operationalise carbon finance with a focus on good governance, private sector engagement and benefits for local communities,” he said.
The initiative forms part of the World Bank’s broader effort to position the Congo Basin as a global leader in forest‑driven climate resilience and green economic growth.
–WorldBankGroup/ChannelAfrica–
