The second CAP GREEN forum, held on 22 and 23 April 2025 at the Maison de l'Entreprise in Abidjan, marked a decisive step in the African private sector's commitment to ecological transition. Organised by the Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d'Ivoire (CGECI) in partnership with Africa Energy Transition Services (AETS), the event brought together nearly 200 public decision-makers, business leaders, scientists and experts on the theme of ‘The private sector as a catalyst for NDCs for a resilient Africa: from ambition to impact’.
CAP GREEN 2025 is part of a climate emergency for the African continent. Faced with increasingly costly climate hazards, falling agricultural productivity and the degradation of ecosystems, Africa needs to mobilise nearly USD 3,000 billion between now and 2030 to mitigate the effects of climate change. Côte d'Ivoire, the host country of the event, has embarked on a process of revising its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), a pillar of the Paris Agreement, with the aim of reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30.41% by 2030.
In an attempt to respond to these challenges with concrete actions, the forum proposed a diversified structure including an inaugural conference, plenary sessions dedicated to the main issues, a general workshop and specific sectoral workshops. These activities explored challenges and opportunities related to various topics such as climate finance, renewable energy, biofuel, CO₂ and methane capture, biodiversity and sustainable cities.
The event was supported by leading partners, including TotalEnergies (co-host) and Atlantic Group (platinum sponsor), as well as technical and scientific partners such as aDryada, École des Mines de Paris, Environment for Development (EfD), GO2Markets and Koffi&Diabaté.
Two major announcements attracted particular attention: the signing of a pact between the Ivorian government and employers, and the official launch of the pilot market of the Organisation of Biodiversity Certificates (OBC).
The first day of the forum was marked by the signing of a strategic agreement between the Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition (MINEDDTE) and CGECI. This pact of trust, signed on 22 April, is aimed specifically at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthens the existing framework for dialogue between the State and the Ivorian private sector. Jacques Assahoré Konan, Minister for the Environment, reiterated the urgent need for action in the face of climate threats: "In Côte d'Ivoire, data indicates that GDP could fall by 13% if nothing is done to combat climate change. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is an immediate, tangible and structural risk".
The second day of the forum saw the official launch of the OBC pilot market in Côte d'Ivoire. This initiative, presented on April 23 during a general workshop on biodiversity in Africa, marks a major step towards structuring a credible, transparent and operational biodiversity market. The initiative, led by an international consortium of experts, draws on the expertise of a network dedicated to developing rigorous, scientifically-based standards, with the support of members such as AGROMAP and AETS. The launch in Côte d'Ivoire was followed by a parallel roll-out in France on 24 April, in the presence of the French Ministry of the Environment and the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), demonstrating the international dimension of the project.
The second edition of CAP GREEN provided a forum for meetings and strategic exchanges between all the stakeholders involved, enabling them to co-construct concrete solutions to accelerate the low-carbon transition and strengthen the continent's economic and environmental resilience. CAP GREEN 2025 confirmed its vocation to unite the major players around a common vision and open up new prospects for sustainable development in Africa.