European governments and multilateral lenders have endorsed a $2.5bn programme to support conservation in the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest, in an initiative led by France and Gabon and announced at the UN climate summit in Belém.

The Belem Call for the Forests of the Congo Basin is backed by Germany, Norway, Belgium and the UK, along with the European Commission, the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB). Central African governments are expected to contribute national resources.

“Donors are committed to raising more than $2.5 billion over the next five years, in addition to the domestic resources that will be mobilised by countries of central Africa to support the protection and sustainable management of the Congo Basin forests,” the Belem Call said in a joint press release issued by the French Presidency.

“The Congo Basin forests are of exceptional importance at the ecological, economic, social and cultural levels; they are a unique reservoir of biodiversity and form a natural carbon sink that is crucial to fulfilling the objectives of the Paris Agreement.”

The programme seeks to strengthen forest monitoring systems, community resource rights, and technical capacity to reduce deforestation by 2030. The Congo Basin spans six countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holding the largest share of the forest, followed by the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.

“The Belém Call to Action for the Congo Basin Forests makes official this exceptional mobilization of countries of the region, regional organizations, in particular the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and their partners, with the support of the French-Gabonese joint facilitation of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP),” said the joint statement. The Call will be presented by the ministers during the COP30 Thematic Days on forests, on November 17-18.

Scientific studies in Nature and Global Environmental Change estimate that the region absorbs more net carbon annually than either the Amazon or Southeast Asia’s remaining rainforests, even as agricultural expansion, logging and informal mining continue to pressure forest cover.

Officials said the new programme would prioritise improved forest monitoring, community tenure systems and technical capacity for governments to reduce deforestation by 2030. The AfDB and national environment ministries are expected to develop implementation frameworks in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Brazil is advancing its own climate finance vehicle, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which promotes a return-generating investment fund model rather than grant-based financing. Norway has pledged $3bn to the TFFF, while France has signalled up to €500mn in support. European officials described the Congo Basin plan as complementary to the TFFF.

Regional political dynamics also shape the initiative’s rollout. In the DRC, insecurity linked to the M23 rebellion and local armed groups has contributed to forest loss through charcoal production and unregulated mining.

In Gabon, the post-August 2023 transition authorities have stated they intend to maintain conservation frameworks first developed under the Bongo administration, which positioned forest carbon credits as a strategic economic asset.

Balancing conservation commitments with revenue needs remains a challenge for governments in Central Africa, where timber, mining and agriculture concessions continue to represent major foreign exchange sources. The AfDB has said that long-term financing stability and predictable disbursement mechanisms will be critical to sustaining progress across multiple jurisdictions.