• France, EU launch $2.5B fund to protect Congo Basin forests
• Congo Basin stores 90.9B tons carbon; faces deforestation threats
• COP30 to unveil donor-backed “Belem Call” forest protection plan
  

France and its European partners are setting up a $2.5 billion fund over five years to help preserve the Congo Basin’s ecosystem, one of the planet’s most critical natural carbon sinks.

The Paris-led initiative will deploy technology, training, and partnerships to support sustainable forest management and protection. It aims to curb deforestation and strengthen both ecological and economic resilience in a region vital to the global climate.

The plan’s backers include Germany, Belgium, Norway, the United Kingdom, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility, the Climate Investment Funds, and the Green Climate Fund.

Key Role in Global Climate

The Congo Basin hosts the world’s second-largest rainforest but has long received limited global funding for conservation despite its ecological importance.

According to the World Bank, forests in the region store more than 90.9 billion tons of carbon, around ten times the annual carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy sector. That makes the region one of the most important carbon sinks on Earth.

The forests are essential for climate regulation, biodiversity, and economic resilience across six countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea.

Tackling Pressures, Promoting Development

The region’s forests face mounting pressure from agriculture, logging, mining, and urban expansion. The World Bank says sustainable management could turn these areas into engines of growth, creating jobs, driving climate-smart development, and promoting non-timber forest products.

The new initiative, called the “The Belem Call for the Forests of the Congo Basin,” is being launched as part of U.N. climate talks currently focused on the Amazon, to highlight the role of all tropical forests in cutting emissions.

Its official presentation is set for the Forests Days at COP30 on Nov. 17-18. The European effort is expected to strengthen regional cooperation, make better use of forest ecosystems, and influence future climate finance for tropical forests worldwide.

Olivier de Souza