The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Africa have entered into a new strategic partnership to advance sustainable forest management and climate‑focused forest conservation across Africa.
The agreement, which runs through 2030, provides a framework for both organizations to scale efforts that protect forests, reduce emissions, restore degraded landscapes, and support sustainable livelihoods.
Africa’s forests are central to climate regulation, biodiversity, water security, and the well‑being of millions of people. They regulate rainfall, store carbon, support livelihoods, and shelter extraordinary biodiversity. Yet the scale and complexity of the pressures they face mean that no single organisation can address these challenges alone.
This is why the collaboration matters. By bringing together TNC’s conservation science and field experience with FSC’s trusted certification systems and community‑centred approaches, the partnership aims to strengthen accountability, expand responsible forest management, and support the restoration of degraded landscapes ensuring forests continue to work for both people and nature.
Initial efforts will focus on the Congo Basin, including Cameroon, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo, where the organisations will work alongside governments, forest managers, and communities to strengthen oversight and deliver measurable outcomes at scale.
The partnership builds on ongoing collaboration in Gabon, where TNC and FSC Africa are supporting national efforts to operationalize forest certification systems, strengthen carbon measurement and compliance frameworks, and expand community forest management. It also aligns with broader continental initiatives to mobilize investment toward sustainable forest management and large‑scale forest landscape restoration.
“This partnership brings together complementary expertise to increase the value of well‑managed forests for climate, nature, and people,” said Ademola Ajagbe, Regional Managing Director, Africa Region, The Nature Conservancy. “The scale of the climate and biodiversity challenge facing Africa’s forests is too great for any one organization to address alone. By working together, we can expand our collective impact, strengthen forest governance, and advance sustainable forest management at the scale required to deliver lasting results.”
The partnership follows the recent launch of the Zámba Heritage Initiative roadmap, an ambitious plan to bring 30 million hectares of African forests under certified sustainable forest management and restore 5 million hectares of degraded land.
“The Zámba Heritage Initiative is our blueprint for a sustainable future and its success depends on powerful, action‑oriented alliances,” said Dr. Peter O. Alele, FSC Africa Regional Director. “This agreement with TNC enables us to blend world-class conservation science with FSC’s robust certification standards. Together, we are creating a tangible value proposition for Africa’s forests, ensuring we meet our goal while delivering meaningful benefits for climate, nature, and local communities.”
Partnerships like this reflect what is possible when complementary expertise and shared purpose come together. By combining conservation science with credible certification systems and market‑based approaches, TNC and FSC Africa aim to expand the area of responsibly managed forests across the continent and strengthen the contribution of forest landscapes to Africa’s climate and development goals.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable.
Working in 76 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org
About the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
FSC is a non-profit organization that provides a proven responsible forest management solution. Currently, over 170 million hectares of forests worldwide are certified according to FSC standards.
It is widely regarded as the most rigorous forest certification system among NGOs, consumers, and businesses alike to tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges.
The FSC forest management standard is based on ten core principles designed to address a broad range of environmental, social and economic factors. FSC’s “check tree” label is found on millions of forest-based products and verifies that they are responsibly sourced, from forest to consumer. www.fsc.org.
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