Timeline

Objectives

The project aims to support governments in implementing and monitoring their milestones of their Letters of Intent with CAFI, while preparing for further engagement with CAFI. It will build the technical, operational, and financial capacities of national and regional entities to ensure durable project execution and long-term investment sustainability.

Through critical research and feasibility studies, the project informs future CAFI programming and foster private sector engagement. It also seeks to strengthen coordination mechanisms and governance structures, promote lesson sharing at multiple levels, and establish a Scientific Network to harmonise data on deforestation, biodiversity, and land-use dynamics in support of forest-friendly investments.

Results to date

• Support to eight national entities: Cooperation agreements enabled activities with the DRC’s Ministry of Environment, Cameroon’s Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Republic of Congo’s Prime Minister’s Office and National REDD+ Service, Gabon’s National Climate Council, National Parks Agency and agricultural development agency, and Cameroon’s Technical Centre for Communal Forestry. In Cameroon, support to FODECC, the cocoa and coffee development fund, included two national experts, IT equipment delivered in May 2026 and training for six technical staff.
• Tools for payments for environmental services: The Facility financed development and hosting of CAFI’s digital PES management platform and tested mobile payments. Demonstration payments included USD 1,652 to the Lewo community in the DRC for forest regeneration in degraded savanna, and payments to 10 beneficiaries in the Republic of Congo. It also commissioned independent verification of project results.
• National climate planning and regional cooperation: Support through Climate Analytics helped the Republic of Congo finalize its updated Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted in February 2026, and develop a 2026–2035 action and investment plan. Across the portfolio, the Facility supported 11 conferences and workshops, including the January 2025 interministerial conference on PES in Kinshasa, and assisted national delegations participating in COP30.
• Seven business feasibility studies: Studies supported Criterion Africa Partners, Mushiete & Co, Interholco, Arise Independent Power Producer, GoCongo, SOBICO and Ngassam Farm. They examined investment opportunities in agriculture, forestry and energy, including preparation of a deforestation-free cocoa agroforestry model in Cameroon.
• Scientific evidence on Congo Basin forests: Support to the University of Leeds enabled cumulative field surveys covering 182 forest plots, 18 training sessions and support for seven master’s students. Through the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Facility also financed the published, 40-chapter assessment Congo Basin Resilience and Sustainability – From the Past to the Future, presented at the African Development Bank’s annual meetings in May 2026
• Contracts were concluded with MK Business Analysis to design a regional mobile payment system for Payments for Environmental Services (PES), with XEPTAGON to continue the development and hosting of CAFI’s PES digital management tool and with SCS Global Services for the independent verification of project results, with the first verification initiated in this wood energy plantation in the Republic of Congo 
• Three major events—the Inter-ministerial Conference on PES in Kinshasa in January 2025, a climate commitment launch in Brazzaville in May 2025, and transparency outreach by the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative—strengthened regional dialogue and lessons sharing.
• UNICONGO mobilised nine Congolese private-sector federations around sustainable practices
• With Climate Analytics support, the Republic of Congo published its 3rd NDC and started working on its implementation plan (see Republic of Congo : Implementing the NDC 3.0 Ambition)

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