News
From forest to fair: community enterprises lead the way in Équateur, DRC
This is the second story in a five part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate-critical forests. As the momentum around community forestry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to grow, the second edition of the … Read more
Forests for the Future: a model of resilient, community-led conservation in the Congo Basin
This story is the first of a five part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate critical forests. For over 10 years, RFUK and its Congolese partners have been supporting local and Indigenous communities to secure legal rights … Read more
African Parks acknowledges multiple human rights violations in the Republic of Congo’s Odzala-Kokoua National Park
In a long-overdue move, African Parks has acknowledged human rights abuses committed against the Baka people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo. These violations, reported years earlier by Survival International and Congolese civil society organisations,[1] highlight the persistent challenges facing Indigenous and local communities living around the Congo Basin’s strictly protected areas. … Read more
A new multi-billion dollar fund could be a lifeline for the world’s besieged forests. But it will only succeed if concerns surrounding it are addressed.
In 2024, the world lost almost 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest: the fastest rate ever recorded. The world’s forests are still falling prey to mining, logging and agriculture, but as the climate crisis intensifies, for the first time on record, the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss is fire. Burning forests are … Read more
Civil Society Calls for Urgent Ban on Oil Exploration in Congo’s Conkouati-Douli National Park
As global attention turns to the Republic of Congo for the upcoming First Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities of Forest Basins, Congolese and international civil society organisations have issued a statement demanding an immediate ban on oil and mining activities in the Conkouati-Douli National Park. The coalition has denounced the Congolese government’s … Read more
NEW REPORT WARNS OF GLOBAL “LAND RUSH” THREAT FROM NET ZERO CARBON MARKETS
Land rights must be at the heart of climate action, say TMG Research, Robert Bosch Stiftung and RFUK. A new report launched today by TMG Research and the Robert Bosch Stiftung is sounding the alarm over the growing threat that land-based carbon offsetting poses to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Titled “Net Zero & Land … Read more
Indigenous Leaders and the UK NGO Forest Coalition Call on the UK to Maintain Support for Forests
Indigenous leaders from Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia visited the UK Parliament last week to urge stronger action to protect forests and uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs). In meetings with MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Deforestation and UK civil servants, the delegation called for direct funding … Read more
Carbon Markets and Our Rights: A Guide for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
The voluntary carbon market is quickly evolving and being introduced in new territories, making it challenging to sort out who’s who and what the implications are for impacted communities. To support Indigenous communities and local communities to better understand carbon markets, our sister organisation Rainforest Foundation US has launched a six-part animated series to demystify … Read more
DRC government opens 52 oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, undermining green commitments
In a move that has sparked outrage among environmental and human rights campaigners, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has approved the opening of 52 new oil blocks in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands – the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink and a critical ecosystem for biodiversity. The decision, announced during the Council of Ministers meeting … Read more
UK NGOs urge government to keep Forests Standing in Foreign Aid Budget
RFUK has come together with seven prominent UK-based environmental and human rights organisations in calling on the UK government to protect tropical forests from the recently announced foreign aid budget cuts. In a joint letter with Global Witness, Global Canopy, Earthsight, Forest Peoples Programme, Friends of the Earth, Fern and Mighty Earth, we appeal to … Read more