The agreement, effective through 2030, provides a framework for the two organizations to scale efforts that protect forests, reduce emissions, restore degraded landscapes, and support sustainable livelihoods.
Africa’s forests are central to climate regulation, biodiversity protection, water security, and economic development. Through this partnership, TNC and FSC Africa will align conservation science, credible forest certification systems, policy engagement, and community driven approaches to improve forest governance and expand responsible management across priority landscapes.
Initial efforts will concentrate on the Congo Basin particularly Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo where both organizations are working with governments, forest managers, and communities to strengthen oversight of forest resources and transition toward management models that deliver measurable climate, biodiversity, and socio economic benefits.
The partnership will promote the use of trusted forest certification systems, enhance sustainable forest management planning, and support biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. TNC and FSC Africa will also collaborate on data sharing, technical assistance, and policy dialogue to improve forest monitoring and sector-wide accountability.
This agreement builds on ongoing collaboration in Gabon, where both organizations are supporting national efforts to operationalize forest certification, strengthen carbon measurement and compliance systems, and expand community forest management. It also aligns with broader initiatives aimed at mobilizing investment for sustainable forest management and large scale forest landscape restoration.
“This partnership brings together complementary expertise to increase the value of well managed forests for climate, nature, and people,” said Ademola Ajagbe, Regional Managing Director, Africa Region, The Nature Conservancy. “The scale of the climate and biodiversity challenge facing Africa’s forests is too great for any one organization to address alone. By working together, we can expand our collective impact, strengthen forest governance, and advance sustainable forest management at the scale required to deliver lasting results.”
The partnership comes days after the launch of the Zámba Heritage Initiative roadmap, an ambitious plan to bring 30 million hectares of African forests under certified sustainable forest management and restore 5 million hectares of degraded land.
“The Zámba Heritage Initiative is our blueprint for a sustainable future and its success depends on powerful, action-oriented alliances,” said Dr. Peter O. Alele, FSC Africa Regional Director. “This agreement with TNC enables us to blend world-class conservation science with FSC’s robust certification standards. Together, we are creating a tangible value proposition for Africa’s forests, ensuring we meet our goal while delivering meaningful benefits for climate, nature, and local communities.”
By combining conservation expertise with credible certification systems and market based approaches, TNC and FSC Africa aim to expand the area of responsibly managed forests across Africa and strengthen the contribution of forest landscapes to climate and development goals.
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About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 76 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org
About the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven responsible forest management solution. Currently, over 170 million hectares of forests worldwide are certified according to FSC standards. It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges. The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are responsibly sourced, from forest to consumer. www.fsc.org.
For media request, please contact Israel Bionyi i.bionyi@fsc.org