One Forest Summit: Protection and Sustainable Management of Tropical Forest Basins at the Core of this 6th One Planet Summit

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Held jointly by France and Gabon, the 6th One Planet Summit took place on 1 and 2 March 2023 in Libreville, Gabon, with President Emmanuel Macron and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna in attendance. This Summit focused on common challenges for the three tropical forest basins of the Congo Basin, the Amazon forest and the forests of South-East Asia. The choice of Gabon to host the Summit highlighted the rich heritage of African forests.

A One Forest Summit centred on tropical forests

Announced by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ali Bongo at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, this Summit was key to preserving biodiversity and fighting climate change by focusing on the protection and sustainable management of the three tropical forest basins of the Congo, Amazon and South-East Asia.

The major forest basins play a key role in regulating the climate by sequestering huge amounts of CO2. They are also home to exceptional fauna and flora. The One Forest Summit was also an opportunity to highlight the crucial role of African forests, largely unknown to the general public.

Protection and sustainable management of forests

The aim is to further the protection and sustainable management of tropical forests, based on three focuses:

  • Scientific cooperation on forest ecosystems to strengthen international expertise as regards the links between health and biodiversity;
  • Sustainable value chains in the forestry sector to ensure activities benefit the economy, the environment and local people;
  • Innovative financing for biodiversity improve the quantity and quality of financing for tropical forest conservation.

Two days to come up with concrete solutions

The first day of the Summit brought together members of Governments and civil society as well as experts to help achieve the One Forest Summit aims. Participants had the opportunity to take part in ministerial and side events.

On the second day, high-level meetings were held with Heads of State and Government on the Congo Basin and the common challenges faced by African, Amazon and Asian forest basins.

Overview of the Libreville Plan
  • A fair agreement between forest countries and the international community, to reconcile environmental ambition with economic development.
  • A hallmark initiative to protect the most vital carbon and diversity reserves: Positive Conservation Partnerships (PCPs), with an initial budget of €100 million, and a mechanism to remunerate exemplary countries via “biodiversity credits”.
  • An emblematic scientific project called “One Forest Vision”, to measure the net balance of carbon sequestration and accurately map the most vital carbon and biodiversity reserves in the Amazon, Africa and Asia over the next five years.
  • A 10by30 strategy for business leaders in the three forest basins to generate 10 million jobs by 2030 in activities related to sustainable exploitation of tropical forests, and a series of tangible corporate commitments.

Download the Libreville Plan and its Annex (in french) (PDF - 170 Ko)

Attend the One Forest Summit

Read the press kit (in french)

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