• Six Congo Basin nations launch carbon market roadmaps
• Plans aim to align with Paris Agreement rules
• Forests stored 90.9 billion tons of carbon

Six Congo Basin countries have launched strategic roadmaps for carbon markets and climate finance in the forestry sector with support from the World Bank, the institution said in a press release published on Feb. 23.

The countries involved are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo. They aim to use the roadmaps to engage more credibly and effectively in global carbon markets. The objective is to secure financing based on their forests’ capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Officials said the planned interventions will focus on aligning national frameworks with Paris Agreement requirements to access carbon markets. They also aim to strengthen digital and institutional capacity to implement the Measurement, Reporting and Verification system, a core pillar of international climate governance.

The plans also seek to clarify the legal and fiscal framework governing carbon credits, increase private sector and community participation, and attract long-term climate investment and technical partnerships.

“Carbon markets can be a game-changer for Congo Basin countries, but only if the right conditions are in place,” said Cheick Fantamady Kanté, World Bank country director for Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo. “These strategic roadmaps provide a practical end-to-end guide for governments to implement carbon finance, with a focus on good governance, private sector engagement and benefits for local communities.”

Untapped economic value

Congo Basin countries capture only a small share of the total value generated by the forest ecosystem services they provide globally. In a report published in August 2025, the World Bank estimated the total monetary value of services provided by Congo Basin forests in 2020 at $1.152 trillion. This includes carbon storage, hydrological regulation, biodiversity, timber production and wild foods, defined as edible products obtained through gathering, hunting or non-domestic fishing.

However, the share effectively reflected in the economies of the six countries, namely Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo, amounted to just $7.8 billion that year, the report said.

While carbon storage accounts for nearly 99% of the estimated monetary value of forest services, it contributes only 9% to the countries’ national economies. This gap highlights the limited ability of Congo Basin countries to translate their carbon assets into economic returns and access climate finance mechanisms.

The issue is strategically significant given that Congo Basin forests stored an estimated 90.9 billion tons of carbon in 2020, roughly ten times annual global CO₂ emissions from the energy sector, according to World Bank data.

Against this backdrop, the adoption of the roadmaps marks a step toward helping Congo Basin countries unlock greater economic value from their forest resources and secure a larger share of carbon-related financing.

Stéphanas Assocle