A few months after the first field missions carried out with the AETS consultancy to structure its carbon projects (see article ‘AETS supports the Central African Republic in structuring carbon projects’), the Central African Republic (CAR) has just reached a strategic turning point in its climate policy. The country has officially committed to developing a jurisdictional REDD+ programme under the international ART TREES standard, one of the world's most demanding standards for the issuance of sovereign carbon credits.

This major step forward took place on 15 November at COP30 in Belém, with the official submission of the Trees Concept Note, the founding document describing the programme's objectives and paving the way for the eligibility process. This announcement crowns the methodical work carried out by AETS, which, after supporting the CAR in assessing the carbon potential of the identified areas, collecting data and structuring the technical aspects of the project, also assisted the country in preparing the necessary elements for the submission of the ART TREES Concept Note.

The submission of the Concept Note gave rise to discussions highlighting the importance of this step. ‘ART is a major reference for REDD+ programmes, with the technical rigour essential to guarantee the integrity of the credits issued. That is why we have chosen this methodology to develop our programme,’ said Minister of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing Gervais Mbata at the official ceremony. For her part, Mary Grady, Executive Director of ART, welcomed the country's commitment: ‘We look forward to working with you on this journey. We know how demanding our standard is. It will not be an easy path, but we fully believe in your ability to see it through to the end.’  

After the Concept Note is submitted, the ART TREES process takes place over several years: large-scale data collection, satellite analysis, consolidation of the national monitoring system, and transparent governance mechanisms. Each step is designed to ensure the quality and environmental integrity of future credits.

In May 2025, the CAR anticipated this shift by adopting a presidential decree regulating carbon market mechanisms, in order to anchor its action within the legal framework necessary to participate in the provisions of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.  

Finally, with this official entry into ART TREES, the CAR is embarking on a new strategic phase: that of compliance with the most rigorous standards of the international market and the creation, in the long term, of high-integrity sovereign carbon credits. In this ambitious trajectory, AETS will naturally continue to support the country in order to secure each stage of the process and maximise the credibility and value of future results.