Report on Fossil Fuel Exploration in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its Conflict with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has initiated a process to auction oil and gas drilling rights across vast, environmentally critical territories. This action directly contravenes the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, posing significant threats to climate stability, biodiversity, human rights, and policy coherence. The proposed exploration jeopardizes progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Direct Threats to Environmental Sustainability (SDG 13 & SDG 15)

The planned oil and gas licensing round presents a severe and direct threat to global climate and biodiversity targets. The initiative undermines efforts to combat climate change and protect vital ecosystems, as outlined in SDG 13 and SDG 15.

Key Environmental Impacts:

• Vast Carbon Release Risk (SDG 13): The blocks cover areas containing the Cuvette Centrale, the world’s largest tropical peatland complex. This region stores an estimated 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon. Exploration and drilling activities would risk releasing these massive carbon stores, directly accelerating climate change.
• Destruction of Critical Habitats (SDG 15): The auction includes 124 million hectares of land, of which 64% is intact tropical forest. These areas are critical habitats for endangered and rare wildlife, including:
  1. Lowland gorillas
  2. Bonobos
  3. Chimpanzees
  4. Forest elephants
• Ecosystem Degradation: The development would fragment and degrade pristine forests and inland water systems, threatening the ecological integrity of the Congo Basin, a globally significant biome.

Socio-Economic and Human Rights Implications (SDG 1, SDG 10, SDG 16)

The proposed fossil fuel expansion will have devastating consequences for local populations, undermining goals related to poverty, inequality, and justice.

Impacts on Communities:

• Threats to Livelihoods (SDG 1: No Poverty): An estimated 39 million people, including numerous Indigenous and forest-dependent communities, reside within the designated oil blocks. Their survival is intrinsically linked to the health of the forests and rivers, which would be compromised by oil and gas activities.
• Violation of Indigenous Rights (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities & SDG 16): The plan proceeds without adequate consideration for the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. This action contradicts the principles of inclusive and just governance, central to SDG 16, and exacerbates the vulnerability of marginalized groups, contrary to SDG 10.

Policy Incoherence and Failure of International Partnerships (SDG 16 & SDG 17)

The DRC’s decision to auction these blocks highlights a significant lack of policy coherence and reveals challenges within international cooperation frameworks, impacting SDG 16 and SDG 17.

Conflicting Agendas:

• National Contradictions (SDG 16): The government’s promotion of the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor conservation initiative is fundamentally at odds with the oil auction, as 72% of the corridor overlaps with the proposed blocks. This demonstrates a failure of integrated and coherent policymaking.
• Challenges in Global Partnerships (SDG 17): The move towards fossil fuel extraction is linked to delays in international funding for conservation. A $500 million forest protection deal signed at COP26 has seen slow disbursement, with only $150 million of a scheduled nearly $400 million delivered. This failure of international partners to provide viable economic alternatives weakens the case for conservation and undermines the spirit of global partnerships for sustainable development.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The planned oil and gas auction in the DRC represents a significant regression from the Sustainable Development Goals. Expert analysis indicates the project is not only environmentally and socially catastrophic but also of questionable commercial viability. In line with reports from Earth Insight and local civil society groups, it is recommended that the DRC government and its international partners:

1. Cancel the current oil and gas tender to protect irreplaceable ecosystems and prevent massive carbon emissions, thereby upholding commitments to SDG 13 and SDG 15.
2. Invest in alternative, sustainable development models that respect the rights of Indigenous and local communities, aligning with SDG 1, SDG 10, and SDG 16.
3. Strengthen international partnerships (SDG 17) by ensuring the timely and effective delivery of committed funds for forest protection, making conservation a more economically attractive path than resource extraction.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article directly addresses climate action by highlighting the threat of opening vast carbon-rich areas to fossil fuel exploration. The Cuvette Centrale peatlands, which are up for auction, store approximately “30bn metric tonnes of carbon.” Releasing this carbon through drilling would have significant global climate implications. The article also notes that the DRC’s plan is “at odds with DRC’s commitments to… climate protection.”

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is a central theme of the article. The proposed oil and gas blocks cover “crucial gorilla habitats and pristine forests.” The text specifies that these areas are home to endangered species like “lowland gorillas and bonobo,” as well as “forest elephants, chimpanzees and endemic birds.” The article explicitly states that the plan would have “devastating impacts on biodiversity” and contradicts a “$500m forest protection deal” aimed at cutting deforestation.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article discusses the role of international partnerships in protecting the DRC’s forests. It details the “$500m forest protection deal” signed at Cop26 on behalf of the Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi), a partnership between Central African countries and international donors. The failure to deliver the promised funds (“just $150m has been transferred… well behind the nearly $400m that should have been delivered”) is cited as a reason the DRC is looking to oil and gas deals, highlighting the breakdown and importance of these partnerships.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article touches on the tension between economic development and environmental protection. The DRC government’s decision to auction oil blocks is an attempt to generate revenue. However, the article questions this approach, quoting an expert who says it will be “expensive oil in financial, social and environmental costs.” This relates to the goal of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article mentions that an “estimated 39 million people live within the area being sold off for oil, including many Indigenous peoples and forest-based communities who depend on healthy forests and rivers for survival.” The destruction of these ecosystems for oil development would directly threaten the livelihoods and well-being of these populations, potentially exacerbating poverty.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 13: Climate Action
  • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

    The article demonstrates a failure to meet this target. The DRC’s decision to auction oil blocks in carbon-rich peatlands and forests is a national plan that directly contradicts its “commitments to… climate protection” and global climate goals.

• Under SDG 15: Life on Land
  • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands…

    The plan to open up “124m hectares of land and inland waters,” including the “world’s largest tropical peatland complex” (Cuvette Centrale), for oil drilling is in direct opposition to the conservation of these ecosystems.

  • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests…

    The auction threatens to cause massive deforestation, as “64% is intact tropical forest.” This contradicts the goal of halting deforestation and the specific aim of the Cafi deal to “cut deforestation and promote the regeneration of 8m hectares of degraded land and forests.”

  • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

    The article explicitly states that the blocks cover habitats of “endangered lowland gorillas and bonobo,” which are threatened species. The development would lead to the degradation of their “crucial gorilla habitats,” directly undermining this target.

• Under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
  • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share… financial resources…

    The Cafi deal is a prime example of such a partnership, designed to mobilize “$500m” in financial resources for forest protection. The article highlights the challenges in this partnership, noting the slow disbursement of funds is making the DRC “more likely to look for oil and gas deals.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of total land area.

  The article provides specific figures that can be used as a baseline for this indicator. It states that “124m hectares (306m acres) of land” are being opened for auction, of which “64% is intact tropical forest.” Tracking the status of this area would measure progress (or regression) on forest conservation.

• Indicator 15.2.1: Progress towards sustainable forest management.

  The article mentions a measurable goal from the Cafi agreement: to “cut deforestation and promote the regeneration of 8m hectares of degraded land and forests.” The success or failure of the DRC’s oil auction plan can be directly measured against this pre-existing commitment.

• Indicator related to Carbon Stocks (relevant to SDG 13).

  While not a formal SDG indicator, the article provides a critical metric: the Cuvette Centrale peatlands store “approximately 30bn metric tonnes of carbon.” The protection or release of this carbon is a direct and quantifiable indicator of the impact on global climate action.

• Indicator related to Financial Flows for Conservation (relevant to SDG 17).

  The article provides precise financial data for the Cafi partnership: a “$500m” deal with a planned 10-year timeline. It indicates a shortfall, stating “just $150m has been transferred… well behind the nearly $400m that should have been delivered by now.” These figures serve as a direct indicator of the effectiveness and fulfillment of the partnership’s financial commitments.

• Indicator related to Population Affected (relevant to SDG 1).

  The article states that an “estimated 39 million people live within the area being sold off for oil.” This number serves as an indicator of the scale of the human population whose livelihoods, which “depend on healthy forests and rivers for survival,” are at risk.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theguardian.com