At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year 2021, developed countries pledged $1.5 billion to finance the protection and management of the Congo Basin forests, a commitment that has not yet been met, although it is far below the funding needs of Central African countries. Congo Basin countries call for $100 billion in “climate finance” per year.

Congo Basin countries call for $100 billion in “climate finance” per year

At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year 2021, developed countries pledged $1.5 billion to finance the protection and management of the Congo Basin forests, a commitment that has not yet been met, although it is far below the funding needs of Central African countries.

At the recent COP27 climate summit in Egypt, the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) denounced the unfulfilled promises of COP26, according to Africa 21 (afrik21).

Central African countries are demanding $100 billion in funds to preserve the forests of the Congo Basin, according to information consulted by the energy platform.

The impact of climate change in Africa

The Central African Forestry Commission was one of the angry parties at the COP27 climate conference, which was held from November 6 to 20, 2022 in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The organization, which works for the conservation and sustainable and coordinated management of forest ecosystems in Central Africa, did not receive the funds promised at the conference in Glasgow, Great Britain, from 1 to 12 November 2021.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in November 2021 on the sidelines of COP 26 that more than 10 countries, the Bezos Land Fund and the European Union had signed a pledge in the Congo Basin that would raise more than $1.5 billion to protect the second largest rainforest. in the world The world’s major carbon reservoirs.

“Since then, we haven’t seen significant progress. It is time to push, because Africa is suffering enormously from the impact of climate change,” said Jules Dorrit Ndongo, Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry and current president of COMIFAC.

Africa needs $144 billion a year to meet its energy and climate goals between 2026 and 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

Tropical forests

The $1.5 billion – more than 980 billion CFA francs – pledged by the Nordic countries in 2021 is aimed at developing the efforts of indigenous peoples and local communities in the protection of tropical forests, an amount that is insufficient in view of the climate emergency, seasonal disturbances, floods and drought. sources, the advance of the desert, and other climatic phenomena that the inhabitants of this part of the brown continent have been regularly experiencing in recent years.

Africa is experiencing the worst effects of climate change, even though it is the continent that contributes the least to carbon emissions, as its citizens are exposed to more flooding, higher temperatures, coastal erosion, land degradation, and other climate shocks every year.

To preserve their tropical forests, Central African countries need much more than the $1.5 billion pledged by Northern countries at COP26.

The forest ministers of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECAS), at their meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on October 5, 2022, prior to the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties, set a new financial target for the international community, amounting to $100 billion per year.

Congo Basin

The importance of the need for climate finance for Central African countries can be underlined by the contribution of the Congo Basin to maintaining the global climate balance.

According to COMIFAC data, the Congo Basin, which covers 11 Central African countries, has 24 million hectares of managed forests, of which 5.3 million hectares are certified.

Congo Basin countries call for $100 billion in “climate finance” per year

Its deforestation rate is estimated at less than 1%, making it one of the 3 largest tropical forest basins, with an average greenhouse gas emission of 530 million tons and an average carbon absorption of 1.1 billion tons.

More than 100 world leaders have pledged to end deforestation by 2030, with nearly £14 billion ($19.2 billion) in public and private funding.