Science Panel for the Congo Basin Presents Landmark Assessment Report: A Call for Urgent Investment and Coordinated Action

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo (May 26, 2026) — The Science Panel for the Congo Basin (SPCB), convened by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), today officially presented the 2025 Congo Basin Assessment Report – Congo Basin Resilience and Sustainability: From the Past to the Future at the Kintele International Conference Center in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on the occasion of the 61st Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank. The report, comprising 40 chapters across four sections, is being published online through the SPCB website and Springer Nature. An Executive Summary of the report was previously released at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The SPCB is the first independent scientific panel dedicated to the Congo Basin, established to address persistent gaps in scientific knowledge and investment in the region. The Panel mobilises leading scientists—primarily from Congo Basin countries—to synthesise existing evidence on the state of the Basin, its ecosystems, and the pressures it faces. Its work is designed to directly inform policy, strengthen scientific capacity in the region, and support evidence-based pathways for sustainable development.

The 2025 Congo Basin Assessment Report, developed by the SPCB, provides the most comprehensive regional scientific assessment to date of the Congo Basin, a system of global importance for climate regulation, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Spanning over 3.46 million square kilometres, the Congo Basin is the largest tropical carbon sink, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, and a region of rich cultural diversity, functioning as a continental “green engine” that regulates rainfall and sustains livelihoods across Africa.

Developed by more than 180 scientists primarily from the region, the report synthesizes current knowledge across ecological, social, and economic dimensions, tracing the Basin’s evolution from its geological origins through centuries of human interaction to present-day transformations while identifying pathways to secure its long-term resilience. It examines the Basin’s role in the Earth system, patterns of human-environment interaction over time, the post-1992 transition toward sustainable development, and the solutions required to build a resilient future.

Professor Lee White, Special Envoy of the Science Panel for the Congo Basin, stressed: “The Congo Basin is not just the Green Heart of Africa, it is a planetary asset. The chapters now being released show, in detail, how the Basin supports climate stability and rainfall systems, and why the world cannot afford to treat it as an afterthought. The science is clear: the Basin’s carbon absorption is falling, and the next decade is decisive.”

The findings underscore that the Congo Basin faces mounting pressures from unsustainable resource use, climate change, and governance gaps. The report highlights that viable solutions are within reach, provided there is strategic investment, strengthened governance, and coordinated action across sectors and scales.

“The Congo Basin is central to Africa’s future and to global climate stability”, said Emma Torres, Vice President of the Americas & Strategic Partnerships at SDSN and Strategic Coordinator of the SPCB. “This report provides a scientific foundation for decision-making and shows that sustainable pathways are within reach, but they require coordinated action, long-term investment, and strong institutions. The Congo Basin is at a crossroads with the potential to advance a transformative sustainable development for tropical forests”.

As the flagship output of the SPCB, this assessment positions the Panel as a leading independent scientific voice for the Congo Basin, informing policy dialogue, investment priorities, and international cooperation. It calls on governments, the private sector, and the international community to act decisively to safeguard one of the world’s most vital ecosystems and to support sustainable development pathways for the region.

The official presentation event in Brazzaville brought together high-level policymakers, scientists, and development partners. Opening remarks were given by Professor Lee White, followed by an overview of the report presented by SPCB Co-Chairs Bonaventure Sonké and Lydie-Stella Koutika, alongside SPCB Science Officer Bila-Isia Inogwabini. A keynote address was delivered by Her Excellency, Mrs Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development, and the Congo Basin, Republic of the Congo.

Professor Bonaventure Sonké, Co-Chair of the Science Panel for the Congo Basin, said: “For the first time, we have managed to unite the majority of scientists from the Congo Basin along with their international colleagues to provide an in-depth analysis of the origins, past, present and future of the critical Congo Basin ecosystems. It is important that this report generates international attention and support for scientific research in the Congo Basin – the Earth’s most important but least studied tropical rain forest.”

Lydie-Stella Koutika, fellow Co-Chair of the Science Panel for the Congo Basin, said: “The chapters set out what the Congo Basin contributes to people, economies and ecosystems, and what is at stake if degradation continues. We want journalists to scrutinise the findings and help bring sustained attention to the solutions, the governance needs and the financing required for a just, durable transition.”

The event also introduced the Panel’s new website as the central platform for accessing the report and related materials. The report is now available in English, with the Executive Summary accessible in French.

Explore and download the report (English): https://www.spcongobasin.org/

Access the Executive Summary (French): https://bit.ly/resexefr

About the SDSN

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) works under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize universities, think tanks, and research centers to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Established in 2012 by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and economist Jeffrey Sachs, the SDSN promotes evidence-based solutions, policy analysis, education, and global cooperation at the intersection of science, policy, and practice.

About the SPCB

Launched at COP28, the SPCB is the first independent scientific body dedicated to assessing the region's ecosystems, their condition, and the threats they face, to guide policy for sustainable development and conservation. The Panel brings together over 180 experts and is co-chaired by Bonaventure Sonké (University of Yaoundé, Cameroon), Lydie-Stella Koutika (Centre de Recherche sur la Durabilité et la Productivité des Plantations Industrielles, Republic of Congo), and Corneille Ewango (University of Kisangani, DRC).

Contacts

Mario Caller - SPCB Program Associate - mario.caller@unsdsn.org

Gabriela Arnal - SPCB Communications Support - gabriela.arnal@unsdsn.org