Congo Basin: ‘We demand fair, predictable and direct climate finance’ (Environment Minister)

Kinshasa, May 21^st, 2025(CPA) – The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country in the Congo Basin, called on Wednesday for fair climate finance that recognises the global value of its forests, at a regional information and ownership workshop held from May 19^th to 21^st in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ‘The DRC, like the other countries of the Congo Basin (…) are bearing the full brunt of the effects of climate change. We demand fair, predictable and direct climate finance that recognizes the global value of our forests while respecting our environmental sovereignty’, said Eve Bazaiba, Minister of State for the Environment and Sustainable Development. ‘However, we have chosen the path of responsibility, by maintaining a low rate of deforestation, promoting conservation and providing concrete solutions at global level. However, this responsibility cannot be unilateral’, she said. According to Ms Bazaiba, this workshop is taking place at a strategic moment on the eve of COP30, scheduled to take place in Brazil in November. ‘It is a responsibility for the countries of the Congo Basin to prepare themselves accordingly.  We appreciate the collaboration of our partners in ensuring the effective participation of the countries in our region’, she said.She noted that the forests of the Congo Basin, which cover more than 530 million hectares, account for 70% of Africa’s forest cover and 91  of the continent’s dense rainforests. They capture more than 1.5 billion tons of CO₂ per year, or 4% of global emissions, a rate six times higher than that of the Amazon.  ‘However, despite this invaluable global ecological contribution, they are too often overlooked in international climate funding,’ she deplored.For her part, Rokya Ye Dieng, Country Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said that the workshop provided an opportunity to define a common approach tailored to the needs of the countries of the Congo Basin, and to promote ownership of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) by the region’s stakeholders.In her view, the forests of the Congo Basin represent the 2nd largest tropical forest massif in the world after the Amazon, and play a central role in climate regulation, the protection of biodiversity, economic development and the social well-being of all the countries in the region and beyond.She deplored the fact that despite the efforts made by governments, with the invaluable support of their partners, these resources are facing increasing threats. ‘Deforestation, the degradation of ecosystems and the intensification of economic and demographic pressures are weighing heavily on their integrity. ‘Meeting these challenges requires innovative and substantial funding, particularly in a global context of uncertainty surrounding official development assistance. Only large-scale investment, supported by greater collaboration, will enable this natural heritage to be preserved in the long term’, she said.The TFFF, led by Brazil and supported by the DRC and several other tropical forest countries, is an innovative response aimed at mobilizing up to USD 125 billion for the structural and long-term conservation of tropical forests, with a particular focus on the Congo Basin. This initiative complements the REDD+ mechanism and will guarantee stable annual payments to countries that preserve their forests intact, even without actively reducing deforestation.