The Republic of the Congo’s national oil entity, Société nationale des pétroles du Congo (SNPC), is taking proactive steps to establish a domestic carbon credit market to counterbalance greenhouse gas emissions.
The company is presently developing a system for certifying and trading carbon credits, alongside investments in the creation and upkeep of forest plantations.
Ambitious Reforestation and Agroforestry Goals
The overarching reforestation and agroforestry program has set a target of reforesting 50,000 hectares and revitalizing areas of significant ecological importance.
The Eco Zamba program, an SNPC-led reforestation initiative, will play a pivotal role in offsetting the SNPC’s own carbon footprint, thereby fostering a sustainable carbon credit market within the Republic of the Congo.
Dual-Purpose Plantation Strategy
Of the total land allocated, up to 40,000 hectares will be dedicated to combating greenhouse gas emissions through tree planting, while the remaining 10,000 hectares will be utilized to bolster the country’s agricultural sector.
The SNPC reports that over 1,000 hectares of the Batéké Plateau savannas have already been planted with trees under the Eco Zamba program since its inception in 2023.
Government Allocation of Land for the Project
The Republic of the Congo’s government has officially granted the SNPC temporary use of 168,720 hectares across three districts of the Plateaux Department to facilitate the project’s execution.