Communities in DRC see little benefit from carbon credits

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🗞️ Driving the news: In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), communities near the Isangi forest report broken promises from the Jadora carbon credit project, which sold emissions offsets to companies such as Lidl Switzerland and Bloomberg
• While Jadora claimed to prevent 1.3 million tons of CO₂ emissions from 2009 to 2013, locals say they received little benefit from the initiative, citing failed livelihoods programs and incomplete infrastructure

🔭 The context: Carbon credit schemes in tropical forests have proliferated as a strategy to combat deforestation and fund conservation
• Under REDD+ frameworks, projects aim to reward emissions reductions from avoided deforestation
• However, weak oversight, unclear land rights, and inequitable benefit-sharing have raised concerns — especially in regions like the Congo Basin, where forest-dependent communities are often excluded from project design and profits

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The credibility of forest-based carbon credits hinges on their ability to deliver not only verifiable emissions reductions but also tangible benefits for local communities
• When projects fall short, they risk not only undermining social trust and livelihoods but also incentivizing a return to deforestation
• This undercuts both environmental integrity and climate justice in one of the world's most vital carbon sinks

⏭️ What's next: The DRC government has begun scrutinizing land tenure arrangements and oversight of carbon projects, with calls for greater transparency and regulation
• Certification bodies like Verra face mounting pressure to strengthen due diligence, ensure long-term monitoring, and enforce equitable benefit-sharing
• A new carbon project reportedly led by the son of Jadora’s founder raises concerns of continued extractive approaches under the guise of climate action

💬 One quote: “We were promised support to stop cutting down the forest, but nothing came. People went back to survive.” – André Boena, Community Leader in Isangi

📈 One stat:
500,000 hectares of rainforest are lost annually in the DRC — making it one of the fastest-deforesting countries in the world.

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