Investing to protect forests and support communities in Central Africa.
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Mission
Canopy Trust is providing blended finance solutions to attract private sector investments to limit deforestation and support socio-economic development in Central Africa, by mobilizing concessional capital to attract private investor:
- Technical assistance to develop a solid pipeline of investable project
- Strategic investments: direct investment at project level, and investment at fund level with junior capital
Canopy Trust is complementary to the broader Central Africa Forest Initiative. The project aligns with national priorities by directly supporting the region’s sustainable development goals, focusing on reducing deforestation while fostering economic growth through sustainable agricultural, forestry, and infrastructure practices.
Why Central African Forests?
2 million hectares
of the Central African rainforest were lost between 2015 & 2020, and another 1.5 million degraded
40 million people
depend on the Central African forest for food, habitat, medecine, energy and spirituality. The forest harbors 10,000 species of trees, plants and animals
Each Year
the Central African rainforest absorbs as much CO2 as 385 coal-fired power plants produce
Central African forests play a critical role in global carbon sequestration biodiversity conservation, and regional climate regulation. However, the forest ecosystem faces significant threats from:
Unsustainable agricultural practices
Cooking energy
Illegal logging
Rapid infrastructure expansion
Developing deforestation-free value chains will be key to preserving the forest and enabling communities to prosper.
Our Approach
Reverse these trends by providing financial and technical assistance to projects and companies that promote sustainable land use and reduce deforestation.
The facility is strategically designed to meet the commitments laid out in national investment frameworks and the REDD+ strategies of participating countries, ensuring alignment with national priorities.
Canopy Trust aims at positioning itself ahead of COP30 as a key private sector initiative in Central Africa, mobilizing additional funding and developing its portfolio as proof of concept.
Theory of change
The three main priorities of Canopy Trust are designed to function as interconnected mechanisms, each addressing specific challenges and creating enabling conditions for the others to succeed:
Environmental Safeguards
Priority 1 focuses on ecosystem preservation and stakeholder engagement, creating an enabling environment.
Market
Creation
Priority 2 supports innovative and early stage projects, bridging the gap between initial development and commercial viability.
Scale and Sustainability
Priority 3 mobilizes private capital to scale up proven solutions, ensuring long-term impact and sustainability.
SDGS
The project meets 3 key SDGs
Co-benefit SDG Impact
