Gabon has finalized a landmark climate finance agreement aimed at preserving 34,000 square kilometers of its Congo Basin rainforests. The long-term initiative, known as Gabon Infini, was unveiled this week as part of the country’s broader effort to strengthen forest conservation and sustainable development. The agreement has been described by international observers as one of the most ambitious conservation finance arrangements in Central Africa, as highlighted by MarketScreener.
The ten-year package brings together 94 million dollars in donor funding from partners such as the Global Environment Facility and the Bezos Earth Fund, alongside 86 million dollars committed by the Gabonese government. Energy News reports that the structure follows a Project Finance for Permanence model, meaning funds are released only when Gabon delivers concrete conservation actions including expanded national parks, enhanced anti-poaching measures and improvements to community-based eco-tourism.
Gabon holds a critical position in the Congo Basin, with close to 90 percent of its landmass covered by tropical forest, a figure reported by MarketScreener. These forests are a major habitat for African forest elephants and lowland gorillas, and environmental groups say the new deal could increase protected areas from roughly 15 percent to 30 percent. Radar Africa notes that this would further solidify Gabon’s status as a regional leader in sustainable forest management.
The Infini agreement builds on Gabon’s earlier 500 million dollar debt-for-nature swap, which redirected debt service savings toward environmental protection. MarketScreener also indicates that although the deal has received strong international praise, analysts continue to observe Gabon’s rising public expenditure closely, with credit agencies expressing caution about the trajectory of the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio.
