Insights

On 19 December 2022, in Montreal, the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Often described as the equivalent for nature of the Paris Agreement on climate change, it now guides biodiversity policies in all countries, including the DRC.

Why «Kunming–Montréal»?

COP15 was chaired by China, which was due to host it in Kunming. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was held in two phases: an initial phase online and in Kunming in 2021, followed by the decisive phase in Montreal, the seat of the Convention’s secretariat, in December 2022.

One vision, four objectives, 23 targets

The 2050 Vision : living in harmony with nature, a world where biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and used wisely.

Four targets for 2050 :

• A : to conserve and restore ecosystems and halt species extinction caused by human activities;
• B : to use biodiversity sustainably and to make the most of the services it provides;
• C : to share equitably the benefits derived from genetic resources and digital sequencing data;
• D : to ensure sufficient resources for implementation: funding, capacity and technology.

23 targets for 2030, grouped into three categories: reducing threats, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use, and equipping ourselves with the tools and solutions needed for implementation.

Key targets to be aware of

• Target 2 : to restore at least 30 % of degraded ecosystems;
• Target 3 : to conserve at least 30 % of land and sea («30 × 30»);
• Target 7 : to halve nutrient excesses and the overall risk posed by pesticides;
• Target 15 : to encourage large companies to assess and publish their impacts on biodiversity;
• Target 18 : reduce harmful subsidies by at least 500 billion dollars a year;
• Target 19 : to mobilise at least 200 billion dollars a year for biodiversity;
• Target 22 : to ensure the full and effective participation of all, in particular indigenous peoples, women and young people;
• Target 23 : to ensure gender equality in implementation.

How it is implemented in each country

The Global Framework is not implemented directly: each country translates it into its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), sets its own national targets, and then reports on its progress in national reports. The DRC has done so through its NBSAP 2025–2030, which sets out 25 national targets. Collective progress is reviewed at the COPs, including COP17, which will be held in Yerevan (Armenia) in October 2026.

And what about young people in all this?

The Global Framework recognises intergenerational equity and explicitly mentions young people in Target 22. For GYBN DRC, this provides a solid basis for demanding that young people be given a genuine role in the implementation of the SPANB, in national consultations and in delegations to the COPs. Understanding the Global Framework means equipping ourselves to demand its implementation.

Further reading

• COP15 Decision 15/4: The www.cbd.int/gbf (www.cbd.int/gbf)
• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030
• Our fact sheets: the 30 × 30 target, the SPANB 2025–2030, funding for biodiversity

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

We talk about the «biodiversity COP», the «climate COP» and the «desertification COP». These three conferences fall under three different treaties, all of which stem from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. They are known as the Rio Conventions.

1. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Opened for signature in Rio in 1992 and brought into force in 1993, it has 196 Parties, including the DRC. It has three objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, its sustainable use, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from genetic resources. Its current roadmap is the Kunming–Montreal Global Framework.

2. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Also adopted in 1992 and brought into force in 1994, it aims to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations. It was within this framework that the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2015) were adopted, the latter aiming to limit global warming to well below 2 °C.

3. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Envisaged at the Rio Summit, it was adopted in 1994 and came into force in 1996. It addresses land degradation, desertification and drought, and promotes land degradation neutrality.

Why are they linked?

A destroyed forest results in a loss of biodiversity, carbon emissions and soil degradation. Conversely, restoring a landscape benefits all three conventions. The three secretariats cooperate within a joint liaison group, and countries are encouraged to align their national strategies: SPANB for biodiversity, nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for climate action, and land carbon neutrality targets.

Three conventions, one reality in the DRC

The DRC is a Party to all three conventions. Its forests, peatlands and soils lie at the heart of these three agendas. That is why the country’s forestry, climate and biodiversity policies would benefit from being considered together.

And what about young people in all this?

Each convention has its own youth forum: the GYBN for the CBD, YOUNGO for the UNFCCC and the UNCCD Youth Caucus. GYBN DRC encourages young Congolese people to build links between these forums, in order to convey consistent messages on forests, climate and land.

Further reading

• Convention on Biological Diversity: www.cbd.int
• UNFCCC: unfccc.int
• UNCCD: www.unccd.int

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

How can we tell if biodiversity is declining, at what rate, and why? To answer these questions independently and rigorously, governments established IPBES. Its reports have become a key reference for negotiators, researchers and civil society.

What is IPBES?

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was established in April 2012. Its secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany. It brings together more than 140 member states and draws on the expertise of hundreds of volunteers from around the world, including experts from the natural and social sciences as well as those with indigenous and local knowledge.

What she does

• Assess the current state of knowledge, at global and regional levels (including Africa) and on specific topics;
• Supporting policies by providing decision-makers with tools and methods;
• Capacity building, particularly young researchers and those from the Global South;
• Filling the gaps knowledge by identifying what remains to be studied.

IPBES does not carry out new research or dictate policy: it synthesises existing scientific knowledge and presents options.

Reports that made their mark

• The Global Assessment (2019) : around one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. It identifies five direct causes: changes in land and marine use, the direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species.
• The Assessment of Invasive Alien Species (2023) : an estimated global economic cost of over 400 billion dollars a year.
• The «Nexus» and «Transformative Change» evaluations (2024) : they show that biodiversity, water, food, health and climate must be addressed together, and that far-reaching changes to our systems are needed.

And what about young people in all this?

IPBES regularly issues calls for experts and offers a fellowship programme for early-career researchers. For Congolese students and early-career scientists, this provides a gateway to international research. The GYBN DRC’s Strategic Plan 2026–2031 aims to support young researchers through scientific mentoring and workshops on drafting policy briefs.

Further reading

• IPBES: www.ipbes.net
• IPBES (2019), Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
• IPBES (2023), Thematic Assessment of Invasive Alien Species

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

The term «nature-based solutions» has become firmly established in discussions on climate change and biodiversity. It refers to a simple idea: drawing on ecosystems to address the challenges facing our societies. But behind the slogan lies a precise definition and a set of safeguards.

A definition adopted by the Member States

In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (Resolution 5/5) adopted a common definition. Nature-based solutions are actions aimed at protecting, conserving, restoring, sustainably using and managing ecosystems, which address social, economic and environmental challenges in an effective and adaptive manner, whilst delivering human well-being, ecosystem services, resilience and benefits for biodiversity.

Examples from our own experience

• planting native trees around towns, such as Bukavu, to reduce erosion and landslides;
• restore wetlands that filter water and reduce flooding;
• to develop agroforestry, which combines crops and trees to improve soil fertility;
• to protect riparian forests, which stabilise riverbanks and provide a habitat for fish;
• to create urban green spaces that bring a breath of fresh air to neighbourhoods.

Safeguards: what isn’t really a safeguard

Not every «green» initiative is a nature-based solution. In 2020, the IUCN published a global standard comprising eight criteria for identifying them. Here are a few warning signs:

• a monoculture plantation of non-native species, which reduces biodiversity;
• a project imposed without the consent of the communities concerned;
• offsetting that serves as an excuse for not reducing pollution or emissions at source;
• a project with no follow-up and no measurable results.

In the SPANB in the DRC

The SPANB 2025–2030 sets out two national targets for nature-based solutions: one for climate change mitigation and adaptation (target 8), and the other for the maintenance of ecosystem services such as water, soil and climate regulation (target 11).

And what about young people in all this?

Young people are often at the forefront of grassroots initiatives. With its initiative Trees for Towns, GYBN DRC is mobilising young people to plant native trees around Bukavu and extend the initiative to other towns. Find out more our initiatives.

Further reading

• UNEP, Resolution UNEP/EA.5/Res.5 on nature-based solutions (2022)
• IUCN, Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (2020)
• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030, targets 8 and 11

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (SPANB) is the tool through which each country translates the Global Biodiversity Framework into concrete actions. The DRC approved its SPANB 2025–2030 on 28 July 2025. It now serves as the guiding principle for public action on biodiversity.

A vision for 2050

«By 2050, biodiversity in the DRC will be valued, conserved, restored and used and managed sustainably.» The strategy is centred on four verbs: to value, to restore, to conserve and to use sustainably.

Five strategic priorities

1. The conservation of biodiversity for present and future generations;
2. The restoration of degraded ecosystems;
3. Sustainable use and the equitable sharing of benefits;
4. The economic utilisation and local processing of biological resources;
5. Capacity-building, inclusive governance and sustainable financing.

25 national targets

The SPANB incorporates the 23 targets set out in the Global Framework and duplicates two of them (13 and 14), making a total of 25 national targets. Among the most fundamental are:

• Target 2 : to restore at least 30 % of degraded ecosystems, with the aim of restoring at least 8 million hectares of degraded land by 2030;
• Target 3 : at least 30 % of the territory under effective conservation and sustainable management;
• Targets 8 and 11 : nature-based solutions for the climate and ecosystem services;
• Target 13.2 : the local processing of biodiversity products;
• Target 14.1 : the integration of biodiversity into policies, planning and national accounts;
• Targets 18 and 19 : reforming harmful incentives and mobilising funding;
• Targets 22 and 23 : the participation of Pygmy indigenous peoples and local communities, and gender equality.

The challenge: moving from paper to the field

Previous strategies have failed to achieve their objectives due to a lack of resources. The success of this SPANB will depend on funding, coordination between ministries and provinces, and public buy-in. The strategy is «everyone’s business», not just the government’s.

And what about young people in all this?

Youth organisations and networks took part in the consultations to draw up the plan. However, the SPANB does not contain any specific targets relating to young people. This is why GYBN DRC is using young people as a driving force for implementing the SPANB: its Strategic Plan 2026–2031 provides for a Youth Observatory on the Implementation of the SPANB, to enable the public to monitor the commitments made.

Further reading

• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030 (November 2025)
• Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, «The DRC adopts and endorses its SPANB 2025–2030, a roadmap for the future»
• Our page Resources & documents

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

«30 × 30»: behind this slogan lies Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It commits countries to conserving at least 30 % of land and sea by 2030. What does this mean in practical terms for the DRC?

What Target 3 says

Ensure that, by 2030, at least 30 % of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas, particularly those important for biodiversity, are effectively conserved and managed. This will be achieved through protected areas and through d’other effective conservation measures by area (AMCEZ), whilst respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including on their traditional territories.

Three words that change everything

• «"Indeed"» : A protected area on paper is not enough. We need resources, effective management and results.
• «Representative and connected» : Protecting 30 % of desert does not save the forests. The areas must encompass a diversity of ecosystems and be interconnected.
• «Governed fairly» : Conservation efforts must not be carried out at the expense of local communities.

AMCEZ: a different approach to conservation

An AMCEZ is an area which is not an official protected area but which sustainably conserves biodiversity: community forests, sacred sites, well-managed concessions, etc. They serve to recognise the role of communities that are already protecting nature.

What is the current situation in the DRC?

According to the SPANB 2025–2030, approximately 14.94 % of the country’s inland lands and waters and 0.5 % of its marine and coastal areas are currently protected or conserved. National Target 3 reiterates the objective of having at least 30 % of the country’s territory under effective conservation and sustainable management by 2030. Target 2, meanwhile, aims to restore at least 30 % of degraded ecosystems.

And what about young people in all this?

Young people can map and document community-led conservation initiatives, take part in ecological monitoring, and ensure that new conservation areas are established with the consent of local communities. GYBN DRC is monitoring the implementation of Target 3 as part of its SPANB Youth Observatory.

Further reading

• Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3
• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030, Priority Area 1
• Our fact sheet: The Kunming–Montreal Global Framework: what you need to know

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

Protecting biodiversity costs money. Failing to protect it costs far more. Funding has become one of the most contentious issues in international negotiations. Here is a summary to help you understand the situation.

The quantified commitments under the Global Framework

• Target 19 : to mobilise at least 200 billion dollars a year by 2030, from all sources (public, private, national and international).
• Of this total, international flows to developing countries must reach at least 20 billion dollars a year by 2025, and then 30 billion by 2030.
• Target 18 : to reduce subsidies and incentives that are harmful to biodiversity by at least 500 billion dollars a year by 2030.

Where does the money come from?

• National budgets : this is the primary source, and the most sustainable one.
• International aid : bilateral cooperation (development agencies) and multilateral cooperation (development banks, the Global Environment Facility).
• Specialised funds : the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), established in 2023 and hosted by the GEF; the Cali Fund, established at COP16 in 2024 to secure contributions from companies that use digital genetic data (DSI).
• The private sector : investment, carbon credits or biodiversity, payments for ecosystem services.
• Innovative mechanisms : debt-for-nature swaps, environmental taxation, trust funds for protected areas.

And what about the DRC?

The SPANB 2025–2030 sets out a national target for increasing funding from all sources and another for reforming harmful incentives, with an inventory due to be completed by 2027. National stakeholders also refer to domestic mechanisms such as biodiversity credits, the integration of biodiversity into sectoral budgets, environmental taxation and payments for ecosystem services. The Secretary-General for the Environment reiterated this during the strategy’s validation: in the past, SPANBs have failed to deliver the expected results due to a lack of financial resources.

Who really benefits from this?

This is the key issue. A large proportion of the funding passes through intermediaries and only partially reaches the ground. Local communities, indigenous peoples, women and young people – who often protect nature on a day-to-day basis – rarely have direct access to the funds. The Global Framework and the Cali Fund, however, emphasise more direct access for indigenous peoples and local communities.

And what about young people in all this?

Young people can monitor budgets, hold organisations to account, and put forward fundable projects. GYBN DRC’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan provides for a pipeline of project proposals and a biennial partners’ roundtable to mobilise resources in support of youth initiatives. Would you like to support this work? Make a donation.

Further reading

• Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Targets 18 and 19
• Global Environment Facility (GEF): GBFF
• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

With Decree-Law No. 26/016 of 7 September 2026, the DRC established a legal framework for the carbon market. What exactly are we talking about, and why does this issue directly concern communities and young people?

What is a carbon credit?

A carbon credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that has been prevented from being emitted or removed from the atmosphere, for example by protecting a threatened forest, restoring land or reducing emissions. This credit can be sold to a company or a government wishing to offset its own emissions.

Two types of markets

• The voluntary market : companies buy credits to showcase their climate commitments.
• Trade between states, as set out in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: a country may transfer mitigation outcomes to another, provided that they are not counted twice.

What the Congolese framework provides for

The text aims to recognise, regulate and supervise carbon-related activities within the territory, and to establish an institutional framework and a national carbon registry. It also enshrines safeguards for communities: free, prior and informed consent; a minimum share of 20 % of net revenues; and avenues for redress.

Opportunities

• new funding to protect and restore forests;
• income for local communities and indigenous peoples;
• green jobs: forest monitoring, tree nurseries, agroforestry;
• greater recognition of the DRC’s role in the fight against climate change.

Risks to watch out for

• Land rights : projects may encroach on customary lands without genuine consent.
• Transparency : Who gets what, and how is the revenue shared?
• Credit quality : A credit that is overvalued or not permanent does not actually protect the climate.
• Double counting between the voluntary market and government commitments.
• Eco-friendly bleaching : Buying credits should not exempt polluters from reducing their own emissions.

And what about young people in all this?

GYBN DRC calls for the direct involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples in the drafting of implementing regulations, a national public consultation and an audit of existing projects. Young people can play a key role in keeping communities informed and in citizen monitoring of projects. See also our analysis: The carbon market in the DRC: a promising framework, but rights need to be safeguarded.

Further reading

• Ordinance-Law No. 26/016 of 7 September 2026 on the legal framework for the carbon market in the DRC
• Paris Agreement, Article 6
• Congolese Press Agency, «Promulgation of the Ordinance-Law on the Legal Framework for the Carbon Market in the DRC», September 2026

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

From 19 to 30 October 2026, COP17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity is being held in Yerevan, Armenia. At the conference, states are taking stock of the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. But who is speaking on behalf of young people there, and how?

What is a COP?

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the decision-making body of an international convention. In the case of biodiversity, the 196 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) generally meet there every two years. Decisions are adopted by consensus: every word of a text is negotiated.

Young people have a recognised role

For over ten years, the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) has been recognised as the youth coordination platform for the CBD. It organises a youth delegation to every COP, prepares joint positions and speaks in plenary sessions on behalf of young people. GYBN DRC is its national chapter in the DRC.

The Kunming–Montreal Global Framework also recognises intergenerational equity, and its Target 22 calls for the full and effective participation of all, including young people, in decisions relating to biodiversity.

Five practical measures

1. Ahead of the COP: shaping the national position. The DRC’s positions are being finalised in Kinshasa. National youth consultations are enabling proposals to be submitted to the CBD’s national focal point.
2. Join the delegation. Young people can join either the national delegation or the delegation coordinated by the GYBN, which gives them access to the negotiating rooms.
3. During the COP: speak out and persuade. Statements in plenary sessions, meetings with negotiators, side events, media coverage: every platform counts.
4. To rely on science and facts. A well-reasoned, costed proposal backed up by relevant legislation carries more weight than a slogan.
5. After the COP: monitoring implementation. These decisions are reflected in the SPANB. This is where young people can check that commitments are being honoured.

And what about young people in all this?

GYBN DRC’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan provides for a negotiation task force to train and support youth delegates at CBD COPs, as well as position papers to amplify the voices of young Congolese people. Would you like to get involved? Join the network.

Further reading

• Convention on Biological Diversity: www.cbd.int
• Global Youth Biodiversity Network: www.gybn.org
• Our page Policy & advocacy

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].

We often hear about the Amazon. Yet, in the heart of Africa, another green giant plays an equally vital role for the climate, water and life on Earth: the Congo Basin. And more than half of its forests are located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A green giant shared by six countries

The Congo Basin spans six countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the DRC. It is home to the second-largest expanse of tropical rainforest on the planet, after the Amazon. According to the SPANB 2025–2030, the DRC alone accounts for more than 60 % of these forests.

The Congo River, from which the country takes its name, is the world’s second-largest river in terms of flow rate. Forests, rivers, wetlands and savannahs form a mosaic of ecosystems that provide a livelihood for tens of millions of people.

A unique reservoir of life

The DRC is one of the ten most biodiverse countries in the world. The basin is home to species found nowhere else: the bonobo, the okapi, the Congolese peacock and the Grauer’s gorilla. There are thousands of plant species, many of which are endemic, as well as one of the most diverse populations of freshwater fish on the planet.

A key ally in the fight against climate change

The forests in the basin store enormous quantities of carbon. In the Central Basin, the peatlands – which were only discovered on a large scale in 2017 – are thought to store around 30 billion tonnes of carbon on their own. If this carbon were released through drainage or deforestation, the impact on the global climate would be considerable.

The forests in the basin also help regulate rainfall: a significant proportion of the region’s rainfall comes from water recycled by vegetation. Protecting the forest therefore also means protecting agriculture and drinking water.

Pressures mounting

• shifting cultivation and agricultural expansion;
• the production of wood fuel and charcoal;
• logging and mining, whether legal or illegal;
• poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife;
• armed conflicts, which undermine the governance of protected areas.

Answers in the making

The DRC presents itself as a «solution-oriented country» in the face of the climate and biodiversity crises. Its SPANB 2025–2030 aims to place at least 30 % of the country’s territory under effective conservation and to restore at least 8 million hectares of degraded land. The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor project, which would cover approximately 550,000 km², aims to link conservation, local development and the fight against climate change.

And what about young people in all this?

The majority of the Congolese population is young. It is young people who will have to live with the consequences of the choices being made today regarding the forest. GYBN DRC advocates for young people to be involved in monitoring the SPANB, the Green Corridor and projects affecting forests, and for young people in forest communities to have access to training and the opportunities that arise from these initiatives.

Further reading

• DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030, Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development
• Dargie et al. (2017), mapping of the peatlands of the Central Basin, Nature
• Our fact sheet: The DRC’s SPANB 2025–2030

Do you have a question, a correction or a topic you’d like to suggest? Please write to our communications team: [email protected].