COP27: Congo Basin countries must increase ambition to protect the world’s second green lung

This raises the question of which complementary instruments and tools could help to achieve more satisfactory results? To find the answer, this briefing looks at how forests and forest governance are integrated into the revised NDCs with a focus on Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs), the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation. [...] The findings are as follow: On mitigation Each of the countries does not have the same level of ambition for integrating mitigation into the NDCs. [...] Consequently, it seems counter-intuitive to have on the one hand, emissions that are increasing due to the use of forests, and on the other hand, an expected increase in sequestration capacity. [...] This is a positive point since it demonstrates awareness of the benefits of preserving forests to increase the resilience of the populations and territories that depend on them directly. [...] The views expressed can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the donors or any of those who took the time to input or comment.