The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Deputy Prime Minister in charge of environment, Eve Bazaiba Masudi received a team from Wildlife Works Carbon LLC, a company specialized in the sale of carbon credits and operating in the DRC under the name Ecosystem Restoration Associate, ERA Congo at the 27th UN Climate Conference, COP27 at Sharm El Sheick in Egypt. The team comprised WWC founder, Mike Korchinsky and the Managing Director of ERA Congo, Professor Jean-Robert Bwankoy.
The team was accompanied by its client Artery, a prominent buyer of carbon from the Mai-Ndombe project for the financing of forest conservation in the perspective of the REDD+ initiative (Reduction of Emissions Due to Deforestation). Artery has already bought tens of millions of dollars in carbon in the past.
Determined to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to contribute to improving the living conditions of local communities and indigenous peoples, WWC LLC through its managing director in the DRC, Professor Jean-Robert Bwankoy explained that the selling carbon credits is a solution to limit deforestation but also to boost the development of territories.
“ This is really the solution for the Democratic Republic of Congo because we made direct payments to the government and the communities. We have built 18 schools… It is really a solution first and foremost for the fight against climate change because we are not only seeing a drop in deforestation in the project area, but it is also beneficial for the communities”
Jean Robert Bwankoy | MD ERA Congo
For his part, Mike Korchinsky, founder of Wildlife Works Carbon LLC confided that he was satisfied with this meeting because in the Congolese government, he found an open and transparent partner that is needed for economic investment in communities as a solution for forest conservation.
He also defended the choice of the Democratic Republic of Congo in these terms,
Congo is the second largest tropical rainforest on earth… Congo is actually the largest sink for carbon. It absorbs the most carbon than any other forest in the world. It is a very important forest in the world, especially for biodiversity.
Mike Korchinsky
Regarding the purchase and sale of carbon, the DRC through Era Congo sold 12.5 million tons of carbon. Wildlife Works Carbon Carbon has been approached in other provinces to expand this carbon storage initiative.
