180 millions US$ mobilised – including a first historic payment for emission reductions – for a country with strong political commitment to forest

Gabon forests absorb 140 million tons of CO2 every year, and emit about 30 millions.

They also house pristine wildlife and megafauna. The emblematic forest elephants, considered the architects of the forest, are critically endangered in Central Africa. Yet 50,000 of them, or 60% of their remaining population, live in Gabon.

Joint Commitments

Gabon has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forests by 50% by 2025 compared to a 2005 baseline level in its INDC under the Paris Agreement and subsequently in its first Letter of Intent signed with CAFI in 2017, in which Gabon committed to the non-conversion of high value forest and limited and carbon neutral conversion of non-high-value forests. Based on the first National Investment Framework presented to CAFI, the Letter of Intent delineated specific objectives on land-use planning, forest monitoring and forest governance, and was backed by a 18 million programme. Two additional programmes on certification and protected areas and food crops, worth 12 millions, were approved in 2019.

A historic results-based payment agreement worth 150 million US $ was signed in 2019 as an addendum to the Letter of Intent, making Gabon the first high forest cover and low deforestation (HFLD) country in Africa to be able to claim payments for emission reductions and removals.

Gabon has since progressed in fulfilling international requirements to receive results-based payments for its efforts on forest preservation:

• A second National Investment Framework that lays out priorities for new programmes financed by results-based payments was approved by the CAFI Executive Board in March 2021. Its goal is to meet Gabon’s commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by implementing national scale ‘Natural Climate Solutions’ that decrease carbon emissions through investments into community forestry, scientific research, forest management practices, protected areas system and government capacity.
• Gabon submitted its emission reductions report. After an independent verification, this allowed a first payment of 17 million US$ under the historic results-based agreement signed between CAFI and Gabon in 2019.