The Nature Conservancy
High-quality carbon projects for people and nature in Africa
The Trafigura Foundation is helping to identify and build the capacity of forest conservation projects in Africa that can attract the investment and deliver the benefits needed to protect nature, capture carbon and improve the lives of rural communities.
The challenge
Africa has one fifth of the planet’s remaining forests but is losing trees faster than anywhere else. Protecting and restoring forests is among the most cost-effective ways to fight climate change and, in Africa, will help improve the livelihoods and resilience of many thousands of people. Yet there are not enough reforestation and forest conservation projects that are ready to absorb the investments needed to achieve the necessary benefits at scale.
The solution
The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organisation, has developed the Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst programme to achieve two main objectives: storing and sequestering carbon, and protecting people and nature from worsening climate change impacts. To accomplish this, the programme scouts promising natural climate projects in nine African countries, with a focus on forest and grassland initiatives. These projects receive comprehensive support, including technical assistance, grant funding and operational guidance to facilitate their growth.
Partnership impact
Through its support for The Nature Conservancy, the Trafigura Foundation is advancing the activities of the Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst programme in two of its nine target countries: the Republic of Congo and Zambia.
Selected projects in the two countries will receive technical and operational advice and help to build their teams and networks so that they can successfully seek investment. In this way, our grant (2023-2024) is helping to create a pipeline of high-quality carbon projects that not only mitigate climate change but also benefit nature and local communities.
The Africa Forest Carbon Catalyst programme aims to:
- Store carbon or avoid emissions equivalent to 20 million tons of carbon dioxide
- Bring 10 million hectares of land under conservation management
- Benefit more than 500,000 people in local communities
