Kinshasa, DRC – The 15th General Assembly of the Consortium of African Funds for the Environment (CAFÉ) opened on Monday 25 August 2025 in Kinshasa, bringing together more than 80 participants from across the globe.
Delegates include Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs), international donors, impact investors, government representatives, and leading voices in global conservation finance. Their mission: to chart innovative pathways for tackling two critical themes — Carbon Finance and Biodiversity in the Congo Basin.
The Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest after the Amazon, is home to extraordinary biodiversity and a vital carbon sink. Yet it remains under immense pressure from deforestation, climate change, and unsustainable land use.
Speaking at the opening session, CAFÉ President Dr Théophile Zognou delivered a stark reminder to the delegates that their deliberations carry global weight. “The Congo is the green lung, not only of Africa but of the world. It must serve as the watchtower of our common home—the planet,” he said.
The four-day meeting will explore how Conservation Trust Funds and their partners can leverage carbon markets, sustainable financing mechanisms, and community-driven conservation to secure the future Africa’s forests, wildlife, and the millions of people who depend on them.
As discussions unfold, participants are expected to develop new strategies that strengthen collaboration between African funds and global partners—bridging conservation with sustainable development.
For CAFÉ, now active in 23 countries, the Kinshasa Assembly is both a milestone and a signal: Africa is determined to lead in shaping the global conservation finance agenda.