A wind of determination swept through Kinshasa as the Democratic Republic of Congo inaugurated its First National Climate Week, a decisive gathering aimed at affirming the country’s role as an ecological powerhouse and global climate leader. In a speech that blended technical insight with political conviction, Marie Nyange Ndambo, Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy, laid out the nation’s roadmap ahead of the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil.
Her message was clear: the DRC seeks to position itself as an indispensable player in global climate governance, while uniting national priorities before the crucial international negotiations.
A week to unite forces and prepare for COP30
Far from being a routine environmental event, the Congolese Climate Week serves as a strategic platform for national dialogue, bringing together government institutions, civil society, the private sector, technical partners, indigenous communities, and scientists.
For Minister Nyange, the objective is to build a coherent and credible national position that mirrors both the country’s ecological realities and its ambitions on the global stage. “Being a solution country does not mean bearing the planet’s burden alone,” she stated. “It means being a strategic partner — one that demands international solidarity to translate into tangible financing, technology transfers, and fulfilled commitments.”
Nyange highlighted that the DRC’s forests, peatlands, and rivers make up 62% of the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest after the Amazon. Their role in carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and biodiversity preservation makes the country a central pillar of global climate balance.
The DRC’s key priorities for COP30
The DRC’s participation in COP30 is structured around three strategic priorities:
1. Recognition as a “solution country” — The DRC wants the world to acknowledge that global climate stability depends on the preservation of its ecosystems. It demands fair recognition of its conservation efforts through equitable access to international climate finance.
2. Advancing climate justice — With Africa responsible for just 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions yet bearing the heaviest impacts, the DRC is urging industrialized nations to take responsibility through concrete, predictable contributions.
3. Transforming conservation into a development engine — The government aims to make the green transition a driver of employment and inclusion. Flagship initiatives such as “The Forest Is Ours” and the Green Corridor Kivu–Kinshasa embody the vision of aligning economic growth with environmental sustainability.
Nyange also announced the DRC’s official support for the Tropical Forest Forever Facilities (TFFF) — a Brazilian-led initiative to mobilize climate finance for tropical forests. The move strengthens South–South alliances just weeks before the COP30 negotiations.
From vision to action: the DRC’s main challenges
Despite its ambitions, the DRC faces several technical and institutional hurdles on the road to effective climate leadership:
- Governance of the carbon market, where the country seeks to uphold a sovereign and transparent framework;
- Combating illegal logging and deforestation, which continue to undermine national climate commitments;
- Building local capacity for forest management, climate adaptation, and carbon project monitoring.
Minister Nyange called for a collective and sustained national effort, emphasizing that climate action goes beyond policy rhetoric: “Climate change is not a distant issue — it affects our crops, our health, our cities, our security. Protecting the environment means protecting our future.”
A turning point in congolese climate diplomacy
The Congolese Climate Week also marks a diplomatic milestone. The DRC aims to emerge in Belém not only as the voice of the Congo Basin, the planet’s second lung, but also as a key negotiator for the Global South in shaping the post-Paris climate framework.
Nyange’s strategy outlines a new climate architecture for the DRC:
- Participatory governance open to civil society;
- A climate economy focused on green job creation;
- And an assertive environmental diplomacy that links ecological protection with national sovereignty.
Toward african climate leadership
Concluding her address, Marie Nyange Ndambo issued a powerful appeal to youth and international partners alike: “The DRC is doing its part for conservation, but it cannot be the world’s firefighter without means. It is ready for action, but it cannot act alone.”
This National Climate Week stands as a defining moment — a nation embracing its ecological responsibility while asserting its right to lead. For Kinshasa, the road to Belém represents a test of global solidarity, national resolve, and the enduring ambition of a green and just African future.
