Kinshasa, October 22nd, 2026 (CPA).– The Minister in charge of the Environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially launched the second edition of National Climate Week on Thursday during a press conference focusing on the country’s new environmental and economic ambitions, the CPA reported.
“We will use this second National Climate Week to raise awareness of the legal instruments we have developed, in particular the legal frameworks for the carbon market,” said Professor Marie Nyange, Minister in charge of the Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy.
This statement highlights the central objective of the event: to equip provincial coordination bodies, civil society and local communities.
At the heart of this National Climate Week lies the government’s firm commitment to securing global climate finance.
The minister lamented the fact that, despite the 2015 Paris Agreement – which enshrines states’ sovereignty over their environmental resources – the DRC has not yet fully capitalized on its potential to finance its economic take-off.
“Despite the significant resources we possess, which help regulate the global climate, we have not seized this opportunity to establish a legal framework to access carbon market funds in order to develop our country,” Marie Nyange emphasized to members of the media.
To reverse this trend, the minister highlighted the DRC’s indisputable scientific significance: the country is home to 60.58 per cent of the Congo Basin’s forests, over 50 per cent of Africa’s freshwater reserves and more than 75 per cent of the basin’s peat lands, the latter sequestering four times as much carbon as forests.
Recent studies confirm that the Congo Basin is now the planet’s primary ‘lung’, ahead of the Amazon.An inclusive approach and a call for changeTo ensure that this carbon market directly benefits local communities, the minister emphasized the need for civil society involvement, particularly organizations operating in forested areas, in order to raise awareness amongst indigenous peoples of their fundamental rights.
Meetings to plan and implement this wide-ranging national campaign are already scheduled to take place following the international events in Belém and Antalya.
Concluding her press briefing, Marie Nyange issued a solemn appeal to media professionals and all stakeholders in the sector to ensure the success of this event: “Publicize Climate Week, take an active part in it and be agents of change!” ACP/