The Congo Republic is engaging in discussions with several European partners on a potential debt-for-nature swap, aimed at easing its debt burden while advancing environmental conservation efforts, the country’s Finance Minister Christian Yoko said on Wednesday.
Speaking to Reuters from Belém, Brazil, where he is attending the COP30 climate conference, Yoko confirmed that the proposal forms part of the government’s broader plan to enhance debt sustainability and support green development initiatives.
“We are in talks with partners who can provide credit enhancements,” he noted, adding that the scale of the potential swap is still under negotiation.
Yoko emphasized that the concept of a debt-for-nature swap strongly aligns with Congo’s environmental priorities, given the nation’s critical role in the Congo Basin, which spans six countries and hosts the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest.
The initiative, if finalized, would represent another major step by African nations leveraging natural resources to attract climate finance and sustainable investment while addressing mounting debt pressures.
