Congo Basin

Known as the “lungs of Africa”, the Congo Basin is the largest carbon sink in the world, absorbing more carbon than the Amazon.

Spanning across six countries, its rainforest provides food security and an essential lifeline for indigenous and local populations and serves as a critical habitat for endangered species. Preserving the Congo Basin forests is vital not just for the future of Africa, but for that of the world. Global efforts to tackle the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss will depend on preserving this rich and lush ecosystem. The Republic of Congo alone absorbs 1.5% of the world’s entire annual carbon emissions.

However, the area is increasingly coming under threat due to deforestation, environmental degradation, growing populations, and the impact of climate change. Approximately 575,000 Congolese live in forest areas and rely on the fragile ecosystem for their livelihoods, straining biodiversity protections. Food security, land degradation, and droughts are exacerbating conflicts over dwindling natural resources.

Climate actions are needed to help countries in the Congo Basin to pursue green, resilient, and inclusive development that allow them to conserve their natural resources while sustaining livelihoods and boosting economic diversification.

(Source: ‘The World Bank - Journey into the Congo Basin’. October 2022)

We will work with national and local Government to adopt a jurisdictional approach in order to uphold integrity in line with Article 6 NDC intentions.

Today is a critical time for climate action. Natural climate solutions, and particularly forest-based strategies, hold tremendous potential for climate change mitigation. Voluntary Carbon Projects and credits are on the rise and are suited to the Natural climate solutions projects.

Not all forest carbon strategies are created equal. The effectiveness of various strategies can be evaluated using the new ‘RISE’ framework for impact: Real, Immediate, Scalable, and Efficient. In addition to Natural climate solutions, these criteria are the guide we use to develop a carbon project.

The most important factor to the success of a carbon project is the long term viability – ecologically and economically - of the Conversion Plan, in order to mitigate the risk of a breach of contract with the ongoing credit program verification.

The Community Circles Plan addresses this factor by analyzing possible regenerative production of all types, product development and market-based, data-driven marketing which ensures that each year dollars flow to the right acres at the right time, creating Real, Immediate, Scalable, and Efficient climate impact. Project areas that are not forested are included as valuable additionalities by developing credible regenerative development.

Using this strategy, Community Circles existing projects will increase the average forest carbon per acre and remove up to 360 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere this decade in the Congo Basin by providing comprehensive community conversion plans incorporating creative, unique and valuable additionalities.